


Disaster and Grace

by MonitorofNothing



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Angst with a Happy Ending, Confessions, Eventual Smut, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, Stranded, retreat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:01:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25724764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonitorofNothing/pseuds/MonitorofNothing
Summary: Ada and Hecate head to a summer teaching conference. After the dramatic events of the head girl contest, years of unspoken emotions are running close to the surface again and they are each doing their best to take care of the other while hiding their true feelings.
Relationships: Ada Cackle/Hecate Hardbroom
Comments: 67
Kudos: 104
Collections: The Hackle Summer Trope Challenge





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cassiopeiasara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassiopeiasara/gifts).



> Post S4, so probably riddled with spoilers. 
> 
> I know it's unlikely that Hackle would have got all the way to the end of S4 without a confession of feelings but suspend your disbelief for me because that's where we're headed ;)
> 
> For Cass, who idly requested a bed sharing conference fic and is ending up with a lot more words then either of us bargained for. Thank you for being there for every unexpected step of this story.
> 
> Title from the song by Siobhan Wilson

The storm had begun quietly enough. A feeling of pressure, a far-off rumble in the clouds, then a determined grey drizzle that felt as though it might keep up for days. Ada and Hecate had decided to fly on. Their destination ought to be less than an hour away, and after a chilly day spent hunched over their brooms they were both looking forward to comfortable armchairs and warming drinks. They had cast waterproofing charms over clothes, brooms and luggage, and hoped for the best. 

Ada's new bat-nav had chattered in annoyance as the first raindrops fell but he kept on flying and they kept on following him, until with no warning the rain turned to hailstones the size of marbles and the clouds were veined with livid fire. The bat turned and took refuge under the brim of Ada's hat, where he dangled irritatingly just in front of her eyes. She scooped him out and tucked the sodden bundle of fur under the collar of her cloak, suppressing a yelp as he wriggled and sent cold rainwater trickling down her neck.

"Sorry?" she asked, realising Hecate had been speaking.

Hecate raised her voice. "I said I think we should land. There's magic in this storm."

The sky lit up again. There was a purple tinge to the lightning that told Ada Hecate was right. Somebody in the area had been casting spells to shift the rainclouds aside. Quite a few people, judging from the severity of the storm, pushing the simmering bad weather away from their own flight paths until it had all ended up in one tangled, boiling thunderstorm.

As the two witches began to descend, the hailstones grew as big as eggs, until a rogue one the size of a dragon egg hit the end of Hecate's broom, which splintered and plummeted out of sight. Hecate, caught off guard, was spun around in mid-air on the remaining half of her broomstick before tumbling after it, losing her hat and flinging up a parachute spell to slow her as she fell. 

"Hecate!" 

Ada urged her own broom into a nosedive steeper than any she had attempted since she was a teenager. They landed at the same time, Ada swearing as she skinned her knee on a rock.

"Ada! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a scrape. Are you hurt?"

"I don't think so," said Hecate, sounding a bit dazed. "Where's the rest of my broom?"

The hail eased as suddenly as it had come, and was replaced with driving rain, while thunder and lightning still fought it out high above them. Ada peered around in the gloom and spotted the end of the broomstick in a clump of ferns not far away.

"Here," she called, ignoring her stinging knee and moving to retrieve it. "Where's Mildred Hubble with her spell for broken objects when we need it?"

"Wouldn't work on a magical object," said Hecate briefly. She staggered to her feet but collapsed back to the ground again with a soft cry of pain.

Ada was by her side in an instant. "What is it?"

Hecate was clutching at her ankle trying to get her boot off. "It's too swollen," she said through gritted teeth. Ada knelt in the mud beside her and pulled Hecate's foot into her lap. Her hat was shutting out valuable light, so she removed it, securing it to a tree stump with a temporary sticking charm so it didn't blow away. She regretted it almost immediately. Her spectacles were splattered with rain and a gust of wind blew her hair into her eyes. She cursed under her breath, both her hands occupied with Hecate's boot.

"Hold still," commanded Hecate. She removed Ada's spectacles, tucked her hair back behind her ears then wiped and replaced the spectacles, all so efficiently that Ada barely had time to register it before it was done. She stared at her friend for a moment, unsure what to say. Hecate had never done anything like that before. Hecate was saying something else but Ada couldn't make it out over the wind. Her meaning became clear a second later though, when the two of them were suddenly cocooned in the shelter of a huge black umbrella. Ada could see the wind and rain still lashing through the air outside, but it couldn't reach them any more. Under the charms of Hecate's umbrella everything was quiet and still. It was also very dark, and Ada couldn't see what she was doing.

"Thank you," she said, her voice coming out unexpectedly loud now that she wasn't having to shout over the storm. She cleared her throat and added "Could you manage a light as well?" There was a movement in the dark and then all the struts of the umbrella began to glow, casting a silvery light down on them both.

Ada drew in a quiet breath. Their faces were much closer than she had realised. Hecate blinked at her, obviously a little taken aback. She rubbed the rain out of her eyes leaving black streaks of makeup down her cheeks. Ada would have to point those out before they saw anybody else. But first she had to see to Hecate's ankle. As gently as she could, using a mixture of magic and pushing, she eased the boot off Hecate's foot. 

"It  _ is  _ very swollen," she said. "May I take off your stocking to have a proper look?" She was absolutely determined not to think about any of the circumstances in which she would have preferred to be taking off Hecate's stockings. Hecate nodded, tight-lipped, and waved a hand to roll the top of the stocking down her leg towards Ada's fingers. Her skin was already quite an impressive shade of greenish purple. Ada cast some diagnostic charms and winced. Hecate's ankle was broken.

As the headmistress of a witching academy, Ada was well used to dealing with cuts, burns and bruises caused by a wide variety of magical accidents. But broken bones were usually restricted to the sports field, and almost always dealt with by Dimity. Ada had always been secretly squeamish about bones, and that was intensified now that she had experienced her own shattering into glass. She really, really didn't want to have to knit Hecate's ankle back together. But Hecate had gone very pale and her eyes were hooded with pain. She wasn't going to be able to do it for herself.

Ada set her teeth, summoned her courage and began the spell. She found it more difficult than she had expected, but with some effort the magic began to take hold. She tried not to react to the sickening little crunch of bone coming back together. She charmed the swelling down as much as she could without a potion. It had been alright for Hecate to conjure the umbrella out of her suitcase, but summoning anything from further afield would not be possible until the magic in the storm died away.

"How does that feel?" she asked. "I've done my best, but I can't be sure it will hold. But you shouldn't need to put any more weight on it until we're safely at the hotel."

"It feels fine," said Hecate at once. "I'll be able to walk on it."

"Well if you're sure," Ada said, still doubtful. Trying to keep her patient warm, she began to pull Hecate's stocking back up, only realising as her fingers brushed against the soft underside of Hecate's knee that she had strayed into perilous waters. She froze, unsure what to do next or whether to make some sort of apology.

"Thank you," said Hecate quietly, taking the stocking top from Ada's unresisting fingers and finishing the job herself before pulling her skirt back down.

Ada could feel her face reddening and she hoped Hecate wouldn't notice. She couldn't face meeting Hecate's eye right away and she found herself staring at the ebony umbrella handle instead. She suppressed a smile as she noticed that it was carved into the shape of a rather malevolent looking crow's head. Only Hecate, with her poise and her flair for the dramatic, would be able to carry off something like that.

She remembered she had been going to tell Hecate that her mascara had run.

"Do you have a handkerchief?" she asked, looking up at last, "And a mirror? You might want to repair your makeup a little."

Hecate frowned. "No mirror. But I have the handkerchief. Would you mind…?" 

She held something out towards Ada, looking awkward. After her faux pas with the stocking, the last thing Ada wanted to do was start touching Hecate's face. But neither could she let her friend walk into an international teaching conference looking like that. So she held out her hand for the handkerchief. Instead of the delicate black lace she had been expecting, Ada found herself presented with a slightly grubby square of white cotton with a wobbly embroidered crescent moon in one corner. She raised her eyebrows.

Hecate looked faintly embarrassed. "Azura Moon gave it to me."

"That was kind of her," said Ada, trying to sound as though Hecate carrying this around weren't the most adorable thing she had ever seen. She was so proud of the way Hecate had responded to Azura this year. Losing Indigo for a third time had taken its toll, but her daughter worshipped Hecate unconditionally.

"She made it in Spell Science," Hecate explained. "It's supposed to be self-cleaning. Her spellwork isn't bad, but it's a little unreliable."

Ada took the handkerchief and wiped Hecate's face clean as quickly as she could. Still, she couldn't help noticing the way Hecate closed her eyes as she leaned in, the way her lips parted just a little as Ada touched the handkerchief to her cheek. She couldn't help thinking that in another universe, one where Hecate felt the same way she did, this might have been the ideal moment for a first kiss. But of course Hecate wouldn't feel anything of the sort, so Ada, well accustomed to doing this by now, pushed the thought aside.

"All done!" she said, too loudly, and Hecate opened her eyes. Ada could have sworn that they flickered to her own lips for just a fraction of a second before her gaze dropped.  _ Wishful thinking, _ Ada told herself, but her chest tightened all the same and she sought around for a distraction, peering under the edge of the umbrella. The storm was still raging across the sky. 

"I think we're going to be stuck here for a while," she said. "We can't fly or transfer with this much runaway magic in the air." Hecate made no answer. They each did their best to find a comfortable position and sat silently staring into the rain.

Storms like this were always a potential problem among large gatherings of magic users. People made things better for themselves without stopping to think about the effect it might have on those around them. Ada sighed. She would have liked to think that those with the task of teaching the younger generations to wield magic responsibly might have been a little more self-aware in their own magic use. But the school year was long, and all teachers got demob-happy when the holidays came around. She'd noticed before that many of them viewed summer conferences as a handy excuse to let their hair down, and their responsibilities with it. She and Hecate had always been united in quiet disapproval of those colleagues whose motto seemed to be  _ Do as I say, not as I do. _

Although Ada herself had secretly been looking forward to this week as a kind of respite too. She and Hecate had spent the last few weeks rattling around uneasily inside the empty Academy, orbiting each other with careful steps, doing their best to process the overwhelming trauma that had come with the end of last term but not really making any progress. Hecate had been very quiet, even more so than was usual after a crisis. Once the practicalities had been dealt with, she had consistently refused to be drawn into conversation about any of it. Ada was hoping that a few days spent exploring international innovations in education, and arguing ferociously with any colleague who dared to disagree with her, might do Hecate the power of good. She herself was longing for a change of scene and the distraction of being surrounded with other people, most of whom would never have heard of Agatha, or even of Cackle's Academy. Having read the hotel brochure, Ada was also looking forward to luxurious surroundings and a fancy menu. She gave another little sigh at the thought of being in a place for which she had absolutely no responsibility. In the unlikely event that the roof of the Pendragon Hotel fell in, nobody would be expecting Ada Cackle to deal with it.

She hadn't even had the responsibility of booking the accommodation. The head of a neighbouring academy had spotted a group discount and offered to include them in the deal. Ada, swamped with a more than usually frenetic head girl competition, had accepted with gratitude, although Hecate had muttered darkly about the dangers of delegation.

Ada glanced sideways, wondering what Hecate was thinking. The umbrella was big enough that they were able to sit without quite touching but whenever one of them took a deep breath their shoulders would brush together for a moment. Ada was so used to having Hecate at her shoulder that she often felt her presence there even when they were apart. But they very rarely found themselves in such a small, intimate space, and after all that had just happened, Hecate's closeness was making her feel a little short of breath.

Hecate shifted position and bumped Ada's scraped knee, causing her to gasp. Instantly, Hecate returned from wherever her mind had been wandering.

"You were hurt too," she said accusingly. "Why didn't you remind me?"

"Honestly Hecate, it's hardly worth bothering with. I'd forgotten all about it." Ada tried to lift the hem of her dress as she spoke, before realising that the skirt was stuck to her knee with dried blood. "Ouch!" She attempted a gentle separation spell but found herself hit with a wave of exhaustion instead. "I can't... seem to…"

Hecate looked from Ada to the storm outside. "It's been leaching our magic. I felt it too. Every witch outdoors tonight will be losing power. Here." She touched her fingers to the back of Ada's hand, lending her enough magic to complete the spell. 

Hecate averted her eyes as Ada hitched her skirt up to thigh level. "Can you manage to heal it, if I…?"

Ada felt Hecate's familiar magic seeping into her again. "Thank you," she said when they were done. "I don't think I could have managed that on my own. How much power do you think you have left?"

"Not much. I think a lot of it went when I fell."

"It'll come back," said Ada at once.

Hecate's face and voice were deliberately stoic, but she could see the fear in her eyes, could feel it hovering at the edges of her own mind.  _ What if it doesn't? What if we're out here too long, if we've wasted too much magic already? What if it never comes back? _ She thought of her sister, of Marigold Mould, Julie Hubble, Indigo Moon. She thought of her family grounding stone, safely locked up back at the Academy, too far away.

"It'll come back," she said again. "In time. When the storm is over."

Hecate gave half a nod. "Of course it will." They were both powerful witches who had spent years honing and tending their craft. The storm would have to go on all night to take all of their magic and it could be regrown from even the tiniest spark, as long as there was  _ something _ left. They would be alright. Ada was sure of it.

Hecate would need distracting, she knew. She rarely shared Ada's optimism even at the best of times, and under these circumstances her mind would be leading her down all the darkest paths.

Ada turned to her and smiled. "How are you feeling about attending your first external conference in person?" she asked.

One of the first changes Ada had instituted as headmistress was to open up her school as a venue for teaching conferences every summer and often during the winter holidays too, so that her deputy could further her training without breaking the confinement she still couldn't bring herself to let go of. As the years went by they had also worked to develop standard projection spells until Hecate was capable of projecting her own image to anywhere within Europe, so realistically that nobody ever suspected she wasn't really there. Whole new avenues of magical learning had been opened up to her, although she had refused absolutely to use the method for leisure purposes.

Now, a year after her confinement had been broken, Ada had persuaded her to fly the length of the country and attend the biggest gathering of educators the magical world had seen in a decade.

The expressions flitting over Hecate's face told Ada she knew she was being distracted, and she was both grateful for Ada's effort and ashamed of needing it.

"Arrival was a lot easier when I used to project."

Ada chuckled. "True. But I've not had this problem on the way to a conference before. It must just be the number of people."

"It will be nice to be able to eat with you," Hecate said. That was the one difficulty they had never managed to overcome with their spell work.

Ada smiled. "The food at this place does look particularly appetising. It would be a shame for you to miss out."

She kept the conversation going, little by little drawing Hecate away from her fears until she sounded almost like her normal self again. They talked until true darkness fell and the landscape in front of them was no longer lit up with flickering purple light.

Ada almost wished that they could stay where they were under Hecate's umbrella, that still small space that had become the eye of the storm.

She gingerly stuck a hand outside the shelter of the umbrella, then snatched it back as it was met with chill wind and stinging rain. The weather might not be dangerous any longer but it was certainly unpleasant.

"Our waterproofing spells will be wearing thin. I don't suppose it's possible to use the umbrella on a broomstick?" she asked. "Do you think we might manage it, with two of us?"

Hecate frowned, considering. "I've never tried," she said, "But it could work. The charms would deal with the wind resistance problem. Only I'd have to… hold on to you, for balance."

"You'd have to do that anyway," said Ada, willing her heart to stop skipping around at the thought of Hecate holding her close.

With Hecate holding the umbrella over them both, they moved back towards their scattered possessions. Ada tied the pieces of Hecate's broom underneath her own. Even broken, their magic would probably give Ada's broom a helpful boost to accommodate the extra passenger.

Ada bit her lip as Hecate slid onto the broom behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hecate, I don't think that's going to be stable enough. You'll have to hold on to my- my waist." She was glad they couldn't see each other's faces. Without comment Hecate wound her arm loosely around Ada's middle instead. They rose into the air. 

"Which way?"

Ada did her best to ignore Hecate's breath on the back of her neck. She gave her bat nav an encouraging prod, but he took one look at the weather and refused to come out of her cloak.

At that moment a great golden light blossomed in the sky away to the west. Ada could see another beyond it and one far away after that. The Pendragon had lit guiding beacons for anybody lost in the storm.

The flight was easy after that, if being entwined with Hecate could ever be considered easy. The umbrella moved through the air surprisingly well, keeping them warm and dry. Before long there was only one beacon left, set into the roof of the hotel itself, a sprawling old manor house on the crown of a hill. Although Ada had given the broom no instructions to descend, they found they were rapidly losing height. Not daring to risk their magic, they could only wait until it touched down outside the hotel gates at the bottom of the hill.

"What on earth?" Ada began.

Hecate nodded towards an illuminated sign above a small bell on the gate post.

_ Please note that for the privacy of the guests in our bedrooms, broomstick flying is not permitted within the hotel grounds. Please ring the bell if you require assistance. _

"It's preposterous," muttered Hecate. "No broomsticks! I've never heard anything like it."

Ada folded the umbrella. "At least it's finally stopped raining." She moved to ring the bell, but was stopped by Hecate grabbing her wrist.

"I don't need that."

Ada was so tired by now that she was tempted to say  _ she _ needed it, but Hecate had already opened the gate and marched through with the broomsticks hovering behind her. Ada sighed, and followed.

There was a long winding flight of steps carved into the hill, with a handrail running up one side. About a quarter of the way up, Hecate stopped striding and began to move more slowly. By halfway she was noticeably limping.

"Slow down," called Ada, and Hecate turned. "I can't keep up with you," Ada added diplomatically at the sight of her expression.

They climbed haltingly side by side until Hecate gasped and stumbled, and Ada had to steady her. "Nearly there," Ada said. "Lean on me for this last bit." For once, Hecate didn't argue.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time they reached the threshold Hecate's face was tinged with grey and she looked as though she might pass out. She let go of Ada's arm as soon as they were inside, but swayed and quickly took hold of it again. Ada blinked at their surroundings. Everything seemed very bright and busy after the darkness outside. 

"Miss Cackle! Miss Hardbroom! Well met. I wondered whether I'd see you tonight." A smiling green-uniformed porter approached to take their luggage. Ada recognised Violet Bookbinder, a Cackle's girl who had graduated ten years ago. She sighed inwardly, and tried to find a smile for her. So much for getting away from it all.

Violet's face fell when she registered their battered appearance.

"Caught in the storm?" They nodded, both trying to catch their breath after the stairs. Violet waved a hand to separate luggage and brooms, running a critical eye over Hecate's. "You're not the first. There's a broomstick repair workshop in the village. I'll send this down first thing tomorrow for you."

"Thank you dear," said Ada. "Do you have a healer? Miss Hardbroom is hurt."

"I don't need-" Hecate started to say.

"Yes you do. I patched you up enough to get here but it needs checking over by someone who really knows what they're doing."

Violet looked at Hecate more closely and summoned chairs for both of them. "Of course," she said. "Wait here while I find her."

Hecate looked mutinous as she sank onto her chair. "Do I not get a say in this?"

"Of course you do," said Ada softly. "But please, Hecate? I can tell you're in pain. And neither of us can do anything with our magic this low."

Hecate capitulated at Ada's pleading, as she usually did, and Ada leaned back in her own chair with a sigh of relief.

The receptionist behind the desk waved away the guest she had been dealing with and her gaze fell on Ada and Hecate. "What are you doing there?" she barked. "I can't have guests sitting around cluttering up the entrance hall."

Ada made to get to her feet, her head swimming with fatigue from loss of magic. Before she could explain, another hotel worker dashed up to the receptionist and whispered in her ear. The receptionist gave a dramatic sigh. "Oh, for pity's sake!" She jumped up and bustled around the counter as Violet returned. "You check these two in," the receptionist instructed over her shoulder. "I have to go and deal with some fool who has smuggled in a pet manticore. Honestly! You'd think teachers would have more sense..." She strode away, still muttering under her breath.

Violet busied herself behind the counter for a moment and presented Ada with a room key. "Number 52," she said cheerfully. "And the healer's ready to see you in her office. I'll take your luggage up while you're there. Would you like me to transfer you both?"

Ada glanced at Hecate, who gave a reluctant nod. She didn't like travelling on other people's magic, and relying on a former student would feel particularly galling.

Violet had the presence of mind to transfer their chairs as well, and in no time they found themselves sitting opposite a pleasant faced woman with long grey hair and the brown robes of a healer.

"Good evening to you," she said. "What seems to be the problem?"

"A broken ankle," muttered Hecate. "I was knocked off my broom by the storm," she added, as though defying the woman to criticise her flying prowess.

"Right. First things first. You'd better drink this." Ada had thought Hecate might protest taking pain medication, but she knocked it back in one gulp. "Now let's have a look," said the healer. "...Oh yes. I can see it's been healed, and broken again?"

Ada felt shame creeping up her spine. She was sure it was her own squeamishness that had prevented her from completing the spell properly, and she couldn't bear the thought that she had caused Hecate so much needless pain.

"That was me," she said humbly. "I'm afraid I made a mess of it."

The healer gave her a sharp glance. "Not at all," she said. "To be honest I'm amazed you managed this much in the middle of that storm. Your power must have been considerably depleted." She turned back to Hecate. "Unfortunately, rehealing will be more painful than it was the first time around. The pain potion won't be fully effective for another half hour. We can wait for it to kick in before I start, if you'd rather."

Hecate shook her head, white-lipped. "Get it over with."

Hecate's breathing became shallow as the healer got to work. Ada longed to reach out and comfort her but she didn't think her touch would be welcome. So she was amazed when, a few minutes in, Hecate reached out without looking and wordlessly took her hand, gripping so tightly that it hurt. Hecate was still looking stonily ahead as though she were completely unaware of what her hand was doing. Without saying anything, Ada moved her other hand and placed it lightly on top of Hecate's, running her thumb over the knuckles. Hecate still wouldn't look at her but her jaw relaxed a little.

It seemed a very long time before the healer nodded and leaned back in her chair. "There. That will hold now, provided you rest it. But it might take a day or two for the pain to fully disappear." She gave Hecate a handful of little vials. "Take one of these every six hours if you need it. And no more climbing stairs for you," she added sternly. "I _said_ we'd have problems when they banned broomsticks in the grounds. There's a magic carpet service put on for anyone with mobility needs so use that tomorrow if you want to get around outside."

Hecate's face made it perfectly clear she would do no such thing, but to Ada's relief she didn't start an argument about it.

The healer turned to Ada. "How's the magic feeling now?"

"Getting better," said Ada, surprised. "Much faster than I expected."

"Mine too," said Hecate, the colour beginning to come back into her face.

The healer nodded. "This building used to be a college, you know. There's still a founding stone built into the walls. You'll both be back to full strength before morning." She glanced at the key on Ada's lap. "I'll transfer you upstairs. Unless you wanted to spend some time in the bar first?"

Ada didn't even have to look at Hecate to know that the answer would be no. Her friend was unsociable at the best of times and she was in no state to be in a crowd this evening. Ada had been looking forward to a few drinks and a chat, but despite her returning magic she felt bone weary and desperate to sleep. "I think we'll go straight up."

Their room was a pleasant one, with high arched windows and elegant old fashioned furniture. Their luggage was piled neatly next to the desk. But it was not aesthetic or convenience that made both witches freeze just inside the doorway, Ada stopping so suddenly that Hecate walked into her. It was the fact that there was only one bed. A large and beautiful bed to be sure, but still indisputably the only one in the room.

"There- there must be some mistake," said Ada, looking vainly behind her for the vanished porter. "Let me double check the number on the key…" She peered at it, half-heeded words still pouring out of her as they always did when she was nervous. "Violet must have… no, she definitely said room 52, and…" she trailed off, realising Hecate had neither moved nor spoken since she first stepped into the room. Ada didn't want to draw attention to it by looking directly at her, so she moved towards the bed, trying to collect her scattered thoughts and stem the tide of nervous chatter that was waiting to start up again. A spell. That was all they needed. A simple transformation spell, to turn one disconcerting double bed into two nice safe single ones. Her magic ought to run to that. "Well! This was… unexpected, but it should be an easy enough fix," she announced, her voice sounding artificially bright. She waved a hand. At once the bed began to flash red and emitted a jangling alarm call. Hecate, jolted out of her trance, flung a silencing spell at it but if anything the alarm grew louder. They dimly heard a knock at the door, which opened to reveal the receptionist from downstairs. She inserted a small silver key into a hole in the footboard and the bed returned to normal. The receptionist rolled her eyes.

"Don't mess with the beds." She made to walk out of the room.

"Wait!" Ada called after her, "There's been a mistake! We weren't expecting a double bed, we thought we were booked into a twin room."

The receptionist halted and sighed, bristling with impatience at this interruption to her already busy evening. She snapped her fingers for a clipboard. "Names?"

"Ada Cackle and Hecate Hardbroom?" Ada wished her voice didn't sound quite so apologetic, but the woman's attitude was making her feel like a naughty schoolgirl.

The receptionist scanned her list. "No, you're definitely booked in for a double room. And I'm afraid you'll have to stay here. We're fully booked this week." 

"Can _you_ not turn this into two beds for us?" Hecate pleaded. 

The receptionist shook her head. "Sorry. Company policy. We can't help it if you didn't fill the forms in properly."

"But we didn't-" they said together. They were too late. She had already transferred away, leaving them alone with the empty bed looming between them.

Hecate closed her eyes."I _knew_ I should have done the booking myself," she fumed.

Ada's heart sank. She had spent the evening thinking that if they could only get safely up to their bedroom, everything would be alright. Having another obstacle to navigate before they could sleep seemed impossibly cruel. _Pull yourself together Ada,_ she thought. _This is manageable. You can make it manageable._

"Too late to go crying over spilt potion now," she said. "We'll just have to make the best of it."

Hecate looked up. "You take this room," she said. "I'll transfer home and sleep there. There's no thunder in the air now. I'll be back first thing tomorrow." 

"Hecate, your magic! Are you sure it's-"

Before Ada could finish, Hecate had vanished. But she flickered back into existence almost immediately. "Anti-transference barrier," she said breathlessly.

"But the receptionist just-"

"It only works within the premises." Hecate sat down heavily on the bed, rubbing her arms as though they had been bruised. "I suppose they can't have people transferring in and out without paying the bill."

Ada did not question her further. Hecate knew all there was to know about confinement spells. 

"I could walk back down to the gate and transfer from just outside," Hecate suggested without much conviction.

Ada crossed to where Hecate was sitting. "Please don't waste your magic like that tonight. I don't want you burning out. Besides, you can't go anywhere on that ankle until tomorrow. Easier to just share the bed."

There was a hunted look in Hecate's eyes."I'll sleep on the floor," she announced.

"Don't be silly Hecate."

"I'm not being silly. I'm trying to make sure you are comfortable."

"And you really think I would be comfortable with having a double bed to myself while you were lying on the floor?" Hecate said nothing, just stared at her boots.

"Come on," said Ada gently. "I'm not any happier about this than you are. But we don't have any choice. We're both exhausted, and this bed has plenty of room for two. Let's just try and get a good night's sleep. I promise I don't snore. Or not much anyway," she added with disarming honesty.

Hecate pursed her lips. "Fine. Which side do you want?"

"You choose," Ada said, turning to pick up her suitcase.

Hecate moved to the other side of the bed. "I'll sleep nearest the door."

~*~

Hecate sat on the edge of the bed in her pyjamas and tried to breathe through the pain. She could feel it receding now, just as she could feel the blessed relief of her magic welling back up, although her failed transference spell had knocked it down more than a little. She had expected her mind to clear as her body recovered, but she only found herself becoming more ensnared by the difficult tangle of emotions that had been building since the storm hit. She was deeply grateful for her returning magic but that didn't mean she could let go of the absolute fear that had gripped her when it left. … And having to rely on the magic of Violet Bookbinder, of all people, a girl who had barely known one end of a ladle from the other for most of her time at school. It was humiliating beyond measure.

She was also feeling uncomfortable about her moment of weakness in reaching out for Ada's hand in the healer's office. It was one thing to lean on Ada's arm when that was the only way for her to reach the top of the steps, but quite another when the support she was asking for was emotional. Pain and exhaustion had caused her to show unprecedented vulnerability in front of not only Ada, but a complete stranger as well, and she knew it would be a long time before she stopped feeling the shame of it. At the time she had thought only of needing the comfort of Ada's touch. She hoped Ada would think it was just the pain, that Hecate would have reached out to anyone sitting beside her, but she couldn't banish the nagging worry that she might have betrayed herself.

There was an exclamation behind her. "Darcy! I forgot all about you!"

Hecate turned, and frowned. "Darcy?"

"My bat nav," Ada explained, extracting the little creature from under her collar. "Look my dear, there's a nice perch all ready for you behind the curtain here, and a bat flap in the window so you can come and go..." She met Hecate's eyes, looking a little sheepish. "I suppose you think I'm silly to give him a name."

At any other time, Hecate's answering eye roll would have been followed by the smallest of smiles, to let Ada know that while she did indeed think it very silly, it was also sweet enough that Hecate was prepared to indulge her. This evening she somehow couldn't muster the energy, although she cursed herself for the tiny flicker of hurt in Ada's eyes as she turned away.

Hecate had noticed many times in the past that the more exhausted and stressed Ada became, the more she talked. She had always found it rather endearing. 

But tonight as Ada pottered around unpacking and making herself at home, the incessant flow of chatter only grated on Hecate's shredded nerves. She felt herself withdrawing, heard herself becoming increasingly brusque in her responses. She knew she was being ungracious, and unfair to Ada, who was only trying to make the best of an unwelcome situation. But she couldn't seem to help it.

She usually found Ada's presence to be the most calming thing in the world. But she didn't usually have to deal with the deeply unsettling memory of Ada's fingers grazing the back of her bare leg, and Ada's lips so enticingly close in that moment just after she had wiped Hecate's face. _None of it meant anything,_ she told herself, and knew it was both right and pitifully wrong, because of course none of it meant anything to Ada. In all likelihood, Ada had barely registered either of those things, and they would be long gone from her mind by now. They would certainly not be lingering to delight and torment her the way they did Hecate. For her they had flung open a gateway for feelings that she had learned to keep, if not buried, then at least safely subdued most of the time.

As she'd struggled up those accursed steps, Hecate had found herself wishing they hadn't opted to save money by sharing a room. After all that time confined together in the quiet little sanctuary of the umbrella, she was feeling in need of some breathing space to recover from Ada's disturbing proximity. 

Not that it was strange for her to be physically close to Ada. As they moved together through the long school days, Hecate was accustomed to being Ada's shadow, never more than half a step behind her, hovering at her elbow for every assembly, every meeting, sitting companionably together by the fire before bed. The difference was that until now Hecate had always been completely in control of how close they were, and for how long. Hecate had been trying not to love Ada for almost as long as she had known her. She had always been able to step away for a while when those feelings started to become too dangerous. So finding now that they had to spend the next three nights sharing not only a room, but also a bed, was overwhelming her to the point of terror. 

When Hecate was afraid, she got angry. And when Hecate was angry, try as she might, she couldn't help taking it out on anyone close by. 

"...I can sleep through anything so don't worry about keeping the light on if you want to read for a while. You won't disturb me."

Ada was still talking, stepping out of the bathroom already wearing a long pink nightdress. Hecate's breath caught in her throat. It was not an immodest garment by any means, but it fastened with three buttons at the top, and Ada had left two of them undone. _Don't look,_ Hecate thought, too late, and then, _Stop looking! She'll see you._ She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"Hecate?"

Instead of getting into her side of the bed, Ada came around to where Hecate was and sat down beside her. She must have misjudged the distance a little because her leg pressed against Hecate's as she sank into the mattress. Hecate drew in her breath and flinched away from the contact, the shamefully delicious heat of Ada's touch still coursing up the length of her thigh. She felt as though her whole body were crying out to lean back in towards Ada, and she was so afraid that her desire might show on her face that she forced it into a scowl.

"Hecate," Ada said again. "Are you alright?" 

_Please don't be nice to me,_ Hecate thought, _not now._ She was terribly afraid that Ada's kindness was going to make her cry. Her heart wanted nothing more than to melt against Ada and cry until she felt better, but her head was filled with an equally strong desire to be as far away as possible

"Fine," she answered tightly.

"... Are you sure?" Ada's bright blue gaze was not going to let her get away with a one syllable answer. "It's been a difficult evening, and I want you to know that if anything is troubling you, it's ok to tell me. Perhaps I can help."

"I'm alright," said Hecate. "I just…" she searched around for an excuse that was true without being too revealing. "Pain is tiring, that's all."

Ada's eyes clouded with distress. "I'm sorry. I did my best to heal you but I'm afraid I wasn't quite up to the job."

Hecate gave herself a mental shake. The last thing she had wanted was to make Ada feel guilty. She turned back towards her friend and softened her face as much as she could. "It wasn't your fault, Ada. You did a good job." She paused, hating to admit she was in the wrong but wanting to stop Ada looking at her like that. "... You did a good job," she said again. "I shouldn't have insisted on walking up all those stairs. And… Ada?"

"Yes dear?"

Hecate ignored the butterflies that always made an appearance when Ada called her dear. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I know you don't like working with bones."

Ada's mouth fell open. "How on earth do you know that?"

 _I pay attention,_ Hecate wanted to say. _Because that helps me do what I can to make you happy._ She shrugged and managed half a smile. "Just a guess."

Ada stood and smoothed her nightgown. "You're very good at guessing." She gave a tremendous yawn. "Bedtime." She settled herself against the pillows and turned back the blankets ready for Hecate to join her. Hecate swallowed.

If Ada had known what Hecate might do in her sleep she would be a lot less insistent on sharing the bed. By day, Hecate Hardbroom was a stellar example of iron self-control. But her sleeping self abandoned all sense of propriety. Every night, Hecate would fall asleep lying on her back with her arms decorously by her sides. Every morning, she would wake to find herself sprawled halfway across the mattress, limbs wrapped around her pillows and blankets, pulling them into the shape of another person. The thought that by tomorrow morning it could be Ada falling victim to her urge for contact was so appalling that it made her feel a little faint.

So much of Ada was so tempting that Hecate could see herself drifting into some truly shocking behaviour if she were to half wake up and find her so close. She imagined Ada's horror at discovering Hecate's hand on her waist, or Hecate's lips on her shoulder. Hecate would lose her job if such a thing were to happen. Even if Ada were lenient, Hecate would have to resign. And with the job she would lose her home and everything else she cared about. Worst of all, she would lose Ada. Losing Ada had almost become a reality so many times now that Hecate knew only too well how it would destroy her.

There was no help for it. She would have to try and stay awake tonight, to keep Ada safe. She pushed the thought of the other two nights out of her mind. Of course she couldn't go without sleep for that long but perhaps if she skipped lunch she would be able to get by with a daytime nap.

Ada took a while to fall asleep. She kept shifting her position, trying to get comfortable on the unfamiliar mattress. Hecate sat by her side stiff as a board, staring unseeing at the book she was holding in front of her. At one point Ada's restless arm strayed to Hecate's side of the bed and brushed against her hip. They both jumped and apologised. Finally Ada was still. Hecate kept looking straight ahead until she heard Ada's breathing deepen into a slow rhythm with, as she had promised, only the occasional snore. With nobody to see it, Hecate allowed herself a real smile at the sound. She wouldn't let herself look at Ada's sleeping form, not wanting to intrude on her privacy, but she found herself beginning to relax, following the rhythm of Ada's breath. Before long, her head fell forward on her chest. There was no need to give herself a stiff neck, she thought drowsily. She could stay awake just as easily lying down…

~*~

Hecate was having a nightmare. Awful as it was, part of her could tell it was only a dream, and she was struggling to force herself through the swirling barrier between sleeping and waking. But the harder she tried to get to the surface, the more the stinging dream tendrils caught hold of her, clinging to her clothes, her hair, her skin, until it felt as though she would never break free. Panicking, she lashed out with her magic. The dream blurred and swayed around her, loosening its hold. _I'm going to wake up,_ she told herself firmly. _I don't have to stay here._ Her dream-body felt heavy and slow, but she pushed it onward and upward until she tipped over into reality again. She didn't move or open her eyes at first, grounding herself in the feeling of her real body, the throbbing in her ankle, the pillow beneath her... the peaceful breathing of the woman in her arms. Her eyes snapped open. She was snuggled up behind Ada, holding her tight. 

Hecate couldn't bring herself to let go right away. This unarguable proof that Ada was still here, still whole, was a welcome lifebelt to hold onto while she fought off the toxic fog of the dream still clouding her senses. She and Ada were here, together, in the Pendragon Hotel, in the middle of the summer holidays. It was not the end of term. Hecate was not standing defeated and alone in the office with a flask of pink fragments on the desk beside her. She was here, Ada was here, nobody was trying to hurt them. She tried to make herself turn away, but couldn't.

Hecate had let herself hold Ada back then too, once it was all over. When all the girls were safely in bed and Ada had finally figured out a way of destroying that accursed beetle brooch. As the metal dissolved into a puff of acrid yellow smoke, Hecate had surged forward and taken Ada in her arms, crushing her so fiercely to her chest that the chain of her timepiece had left a mark on Ada's cheek. They had clung together for a long time before Hecate had recollected herself and pulled back, giving Ada a nod and a tremulous smile before transferring away to her own rooms without saying another word. She had cried herself to sleep that night, sobbing with relief into her pillow. And that was when the dreams had started. It wasn't every night, but more often than not she would wake to find herself crying again, trying to dispel the memories of Ada shattering into a thousand pieces, Ada being worn as a trophy around her enemy's neck, and of herself trying and failing and failing and failing to bring her back again. In her dreams Hecate had failed to save Ada in a thousand different ways, each more agonising than the last. She always woke desperate to see Ada, desperate to touch her and anchor herself in the reality of Ada's safety. Because Ada's safety was Hecate's safety, now and always. Ada's safety was Hecate's world.

Lying like this, she could almost believe she had had the courage to tell Ada how she felt, that Ada had somehow miraculously felt the same way, and that it was normal now to fall asleep curled around each other just as their familiars did back home. Everything was a lot simpler for cats.

Hecate had come very close to telling Agatha … _I may have acted with heart not head_ … her own words still rang in her ears more often than she was comfortable with.

But Agatha's response had been so dismissive that Hecate had lost her nerve. If it had truly been Ada in the office with her at that moment, if Hecate's confession of following her heart in Ada's defence had been met with softness and reassurance, there was a real possibility that her heightened emotional state might have led her to tell Ada everything.

And Ada would have ...what? Hecate had played the scene out in her mind many times since, and she could never quite decide exactly how Ada would have rejected her, or the consequences that would have followed afterwards. All she could be sure of was that Ada would, however gently, have told Hecate her feelings were not welcome.

Ada hadn't rejected her embrace, that night in the office. Indeed she had seemed to welcome it at the time. Hecate wasn't surprised she'd needed a friend to hold onto after what they had just been through. But they had never spoken of it since and she had no reason to believe that Ada would ever want to hug her again. Now Hecate was hugging Ada, without her permission and without her knowledge. It wasn't right. It didn't matter that it had started in Hecate's sleep. It didn't matter that lying curled around the woman she loved made her feel happier than she had in years. She had to let go.

Hecate took one last moment to imprint this feeling on her memory. Then she sat up, massaging her ankle. She glanced at the clock and took another dose of potion. She determinedly moved right to the far edge of the bed and turned to face the door. She was not going to touch Ada again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are enjoying yourselves so far. I can't commit to regular updates because life and my body are unpredictable, but we'll get there.


	3. Chapter 3

Ada awoke in a tangle of limbs with her face pressed into the curve of Hecate's neck. She lay there in slow, sleepy contentment for a while. She had a nagging sense that something unusual had happened but she felt so deliciously comfortable that she couldn't be bothered to try and work it out. Eventually, Hecate sighed, flexed her fingers and tightened her hold on Ada's hip, jolting her into true wakefulness at last. 

What was she doing? What was Hecate doing? How had they ended up like this? And was there any way she could extricate herself without waking Hecate up? She had a vague memory now of having had a bad dream, of reaching out in the dark and finding someone warm and willing to hold her. With any other friend she could probably have laughed it off. But Hecate was different. Hecate was always different.

Ada wanted so much to stay there, go back to sleep cuddled together and let Hecate be the one to wake up and take responsibility for their position. But she knew she couldn't. Old as their friendship was, she knew that her intensely private deputy would be horrified at finding her in such close proximity. It would cause an intolerable awkwardness between them. Ada let herself count down ten more seconds of precious contact and then began to gently shift her weight in an effort to separate their bodies. But Hecate wasn't letting go. Ada had to lift Hecate's leg so she could slide out from under it, and take her hand to unwind the arm from her waist. As she managed to roll free, Hecate gave a protesting moan and curled her fingers around Ada's. In a voice all blurry with sleep she mumbled "Ada?" Ada's heart almost stopped. It almost broke, if she were honest, to hear Hecate call out for her in her sleep. It would be so easy to roll back into the middle of the bed, to take Hecate in her arms again, tell her that she would never leave, and kiss away that little frown of distress until she smiled. Except of course she wouldn't smile, because outside of Ada's daydreams, Hecate was never going to be happy about waking up to find herself in bed with her employer. She was just sleepy and confused. She was probably only dreaming about sitting in a staff meeting together, asking her headmistress's opinion on a lesson plan, or a new brand of ink. So Ada stayed quiet, carefully rolling over to turn her back on her friend. Their fingers slid apart and Ada closed her eyes as she heard Hecate give another soft little moan.

~*~

Hecate woke deeply relieved to see that Ada was still facing away from her with a clear foot of empty space between them. Maybe she was getting better at controlling her instincts after all. Thoughts of last night crept unbidden into her mind. The smell of Ada's hair and the warmth of her body through the thin nightgown. The rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed and the way it had almost rocked Hecate back to sleep. She had often wondered about what it might feel like to have all that. But her curiosity had been satisfied in a way so unsatisfactory and shameful that in the cold light of day she knew she must do her best never to think about it again. Even lying next to Ada like this while she slept was an unfair self indulgence, she realised, tearing her gaze from Ada's sleep-tousled hair and abruptly getting out of bed. _No more foolishness,_ she told herself sternly on the way to the bathroom. _No more staring at her like a love-struck teenager while she's asleep. It's sentimental and it's sinister. Leave her alone. She doesn't want you._

~*~

The healer had been right. They were both back to full magical strength by the time they were getting ready to go down for breakfast. And Hecate seemed to be moving around the room without limping.

Ada jerked her head in the direction of Hecate's boots. "How's your ankle?"

Hecate flexed it experimentally. "Not bad. It still aches. But I can stand without making it worse."

"I still don't think you should walk on it too much today."

A gleam of humour came into Hecate's eyes. "When have I ever advocated for extra walking?"

Ada raised her eyebrows.

Hecate looked faintly embarrassed. "Other than last night." She waved her hand as though to shoo the memory away. "Shall I transfer us downstairs?" 

Ada nodded. "Please." They both knew that she would have been perfectly capable of doing it herself, but Hecate liked to be of service, and if Ada always got a little thrill out of hitching a lift on her friend's magic, was there really any harm in that?

They found Violet Bookbinder in the entrance hall.

"Good morning dear," beamed Ada, genuinely pleased to see her old pupil now that she'd had some sleep. She had been fond of Violet, and the girl had been very kind last night. "Could you point us in the direction of breakfast?"

"The dining hall is through that way," Violet said. "And I've sent your broomstick off to be mended, Miss Hardbroom."

Hecate nodded her thanks and treated Violet to half a smile.

Ada had a sudden thought. Violet was much more approachable than the grumpy receptionist. Perhaps there was something she could do to resolve the bed situation?

"I'm afraid there was a slight issue with our room," she said. "I wondered whether you could help?"

"I'm sorry to hear that. What was the problem?" 

Hecate shifted beside her. Ada could feel herself reddening. Why had she thought it was a good idea to have this conversation with a former pupil? "Er… the bed," she admitted.

"Was it uncomfortable?"

"No, no," Ada said hastily while Hecate looked at the ceiling. "It's just we were expecting… We thought there would be more than one."

Violet's brow furrowed. "Why didn't you want a double room?"

"I _beg_ your pardon?" snapped Hecate.

Violet took a step backwards. "I'm sorry Miss Hardbroom, I-"

"Violet!" The receptionist's voice echoed through the lobby. "Stop gossiping with the guests and get on with your work!"

"Yes Miss Marjoram!" Violet called, escaping into the back office with relief written all over her face.

"What was all that about?" Ada asked, bewildered and uncomfortable.

"I haven't the faintest idea," said Hecate grimly, "But we need to find Miss Amethyst and sort this out once and for all. Her incompetence will be at the bottom of it, you mark my words. I said all along we shouldn't have let her make the booking."

"It does seem as though you were right," said Ada uneasily. "But don't be too hard on her, Hecate. Let me bring it up. She's quite easily upset."

~*~

Rosemary Amethyst was a wispy little woman who wore earrings almost as big as she was, and always seemed to be draped in at least three shawls. She and the Cackle's staff were, if not exactly friends, longstanding amicable acquaintances. They had never socialised outside a professional context but they got on well enough at inter-school functions. Hecate generally found her to be vague but inoffensive, and she was a surprisingly good teacher, as evidenced by her school's position in the league tables.

They found her now sitting alone at one end of a long table by the window, browsing through the morning paper. She looked up with a smile as they approached and sat down opposite.

"I heard you were caught in that terrible weather last night! You poor dears, that must have been awful for you. There's going to be an investigation, you know." She waved the paper. "It's the worst storm we've had in years… I hope you're both feeling better now after a good night's sleep?"

Hecate didn't even have to look at Ada to know that her resolve was crumbling. She never had the heart to criticise someone who was being nice to her. Hecate elbowed her in the ribs. _Be firm, Ada._

Ada took a deep breath.."Er, Rosemary... We were wondering whether there might have been a mistake while you were booking our accommodation."

Miss Amethyst's watery eyes widened. "A mistake?"

"You only gave us one bed," said Hecate bluntly.

Miss Amethyst looked none the wiser. "... Is that a problem? Did you not want people to know you're a couple? Because you haven't exactly been very subtle-"

"A _couple?!"_ said Hecate and Ada together.

Miss Amethyst's eyes filled with sorrow. "Did you split up?"

"We were never together," stated Hecate, while Ada stared at Miss Amethyst in open-mouthed silence.

Miss Amethyst was shaking her head, looking from one to the other in confusion. "But you're… I always assumed you were married," she said helplessly. "I'm so sorry. You just always seemed so… close."

 _"Married?"_ exploded Hecate. The room seemed to swim in front of her eyes. She clenched her fists under the table so that her nails dug into her palms. She was desperately trying to gauge Ada's reaction to this startling revelation without making eye contact, but Ada was still and silent, giving her no clues.

The breakfast bell rang, and food and drink began to appear on the tables wherever people were seated. The hall filled with the clatter of crockery, and cheerful conversations broke out at the other tables.

She felt Ada stir beside her, then a hand on her arm. She made herself look down into her face. Ada seemed slightly stunned, and she had flushed very prettily. 

Ada cleared her throat. "There's no need to be quite so offended, Hecate." She winked. "...After all, I am quite the catch." Hecate didn't say anything, too busy trying to quiet the feelings that had surged through her at the wink. Ada turned to give Miss Amethyst a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, Rosemary. It was an honest mistake and I'm sure the two of us are civilised enough to get through a few nights of sharing a bed without quarrelling."

"Well, if you're sure," said Miss Amethyst, face still creased with anxiety. "I really am terribly sorry." Her gaze hovered over Ada's hand still on Hecate's arm, and she shook her head slightly as though trying to dislodge a thought. 

Ada dropped her hand. "Let's see what's on the breakfast menu, shall we?"

Hecate sat in a daze, barely registering what was going on around her. She could hear Ada and Miss Amethyst attempting to carry on a conversation but their words didn't seem to reach her. _Coffee._ She needed coffee. Surely her mind would start functioning again with some caffeine inside her.

It did help, a little. She gradually became more aware of her surroundings. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ada's hand move towards the teapot. Automatically Hecate summoned milk and sugar from the other end of the table so that they would be there as soon as Ada needed them. 

"Thank you dear," murmured Ada, passing Hecate a dish of eggs a split second before she had decided that was what she wanted with her toast. Hecate ladled eggs onto her plate under the puzzled stare of Miss Amethyst, who was watching them both with her head on one side. The woman jumped and dropped her eyes when she registered Hecate's glare, and busied herself with buttering her toast, scraping so vigorously that the point of the knife went right through to the plate.

Their table filled up with witches and wizards from other schools, most of whom Hecate knew by sight. This might be an international conference but people seemed unenthusiastic about socialising with complete strangers over breakfast. The conversation turned to the day's timetable and Miss Amethyst professed herself very eager to hear the lecture Ada had been asked to give that afternoon.

"I think it was ever so brave of you to take on non magical students," she gushed. "I wouldn't have known where to start! I can't wait to hear all about it."

"Students from non magical backgrounds," Ada corrected gently. "The girls themselves have plenty of magic."

"Oh!" Miss Amethyst blushed scarlet and dropped a spoon. "I didn't mean to offend…" she cast an anxious glance at Hecate as though she feared a telling off. Hecate ignored her.

A witch further down the table spoke for the first time. "I heard a rumour that the Great Wizard himself might be attending, is that true?"

"I'm not sure," Ada said. "The organisers did mention it but I don't think it's been confirmed."

Hecate suppressed a groan. She had forgotten about Hellebore. This trip was already proving stressful enough without her least favourite wizard showing up and deciding to interfere. 

"...Time and tide wait for no witch," Miss Amethyst was saying, dabbing fussily at her mouth with a napkin before rising to her feet. "Who's coming to the seminar on Modern Witchory? It's being run by a friend of mine."

"We are not," Hecate snapped. "It's hardly the sort of thing we want our girls to be wasting their time on."

"...I don't know," Ada said mildly. "It might be worth looking into expanding our Witchory curriculum a little. We've been teaching the same things for a long time."

"I should get going," said Miss Amethyst nervously, giving Ada a timid smile. "And I really am sorry about… you know…"

"It's fine," said Ada. "See you later, Rosemary."

~*~

"Utterly ridiculous!" ranted Hecate, stalking down the corridor, "Why on earth should she think we were..." She couldn't quite bring herself to say the word "married."

Ada looked as confused as Hecate felt, but her eyes were beginning to twinkle. “I don't know," she said. "Of course it's silly. But it's really quite funny as well. All these years we've known her, and she always thought it, and we had no idea!" Ada spoke lightly enough, and she did seem to be enjoying the joke, but it didn't escape Hecate's notice that she too was avoiding saying the actual word out loud. "It _is_ rather a nice testament to the strength of our working relationship, don't you think?" Ada went on, talking a little faster than usual.

Hecate huffed. "I can never understand why some people are determined to go through life inserting unnecessary romance into any given situation."

"I thought it was rather sweet."

Hecate's eyes flicked heavenward. "You would."

Her grumpy accusations usually made Ada chuckle, but this time although her mouth turned up at the corners, the smile did not quite reach her eyes. "Well," she said quietly, "We've always looked at things a little differently, haven't we?"

They were approaching a meeting room where people were filing inside. Ada looked at the sign on the door. "You know, I think I _will_ investigate this Modern Witchory business. I'll see you later, Hecate." And she disappeared through the doorway without a backward glance.

~*~

Hecate pushed salmon and green beans around her plate. She was still feeling distinctly out of sorts. Ada had not shown up to either of the workshops they had planned to attend together that morning. She had sent a breezy little maglet message after her Witchory seminar, explaining that her attention had been caught by a lecture on inclusive assessment practices, and that they should meet up at lunchtime to compare notes. By the time Hecate saw her again, she seemed to have returned to her usual good spirits and was full of talk about all she had learned as they found seats for themselves in the crowded dining hall. Hecate wished she could return the favour. There had been very little worthy of holding her interest in her morning's timetable, although that may have been due entirely to the fact that three quarters of her brain was taken up with fretting over why Ada had walked off like that. In her initial shock, Hecate had been so anxious to allay any suspicion of her true feelings that she was now worried she might perhaps have accidentally implied that Ada was not worthy of love. 

Hecate had been so worked up after breakfast that she couldn't recall exactly what she had said. But there must have been _something_ , something unintentionally insulting, to make Ada react like that. Hecate wanted to tell her that she hadn't meant it, whatever it was. But even assuming she had the courage to revisit the conversation, how could she assure Ada how deeply loveable she was without betraying her own feelings? Perhaps it could be done, by somebody with more talent for expressing themselves, but not by Hecate Hardbroom. It would be best to let the whole subject drop. She would find other ways to let Ada know her importance, all the small unspoken shows of devotion that she had always used without arousing Ada's suspicions.

Feeling reassured by having made a decision, she returned to her food. 

But although the lunch was excellent, her appetite was spoiled by the plaintive gaze of Miss Amethyst. She had chosen to sit at a table on the other side of the room, but persisted in looking furtively between Hecate and Ada with her head still tilted at that infuriating angle as though trying to work out one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. Ada, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice Miss Amethyst. Finding Hecate mostly unresponsive, she had allowed herself to be drawn into an animated conversation with the German Spell Science expert on her other side, who was very interested in Mr Daisy's new invention. Hecate nodded and agreed whenever it seemed to be required of her, although she mostly had no idea what either of them was saying. Every time she glanced up from her plate she seemed to encounter that disconcerting stare, and to hear Miss Amethyst's voice echoing over and over in her mind. _I always assumed you were married…_

"Hecate?" Ada's hand was on her shoulder. Hecate had barely noticed the clattering of chairs as everybody else left their seats. They had a free half hour now before an afternoon of lectures that would culminate in Ada's talk on their experiences in teaching students from non magical families. Hecate had originally planned to spend this time sitting with Ada in the grounds, helping her go over her notes. Not that Ada needed it of course. Her boundless optimism and skill at public speaking meant she had been looking forward to giving this lecture for weeks. It would have been Hecate's anxieties that were allayed by practising it one last time. Now she just couldn't face it. She felt she was letting Ada down. But after being stared at all the way through lunch she wanted some time alone to compose herself.

At home, when Hecate needed space, she instinctively retreated among the simmering cauldrons of her lab. In the absence of a Potions laboratory, she chose the next best thing; the library. Hecate made her excuses to Ada, promised to meet her outside the lecture hall and escaped into the library like a bird to her nest.

The owner of the Pendragon hotel had an extraordinarily well stocked library, even boasting a few rare texts that could not be found anywhere else. It had only recently been opened up to the public, which was the main reason for the conference being held there this year. Many teachers did private academic research alongside their school duties and the chance to explore a new collection of books was an irresistible attraction. Hecate wandered through the Potions section running her fingertips over the spines of the books, too overwrought to read anything but feeling soothed by their presence all the same.

_I always assumed you were married…_

Why had that been the assumption? Had the woman somehow been able to see into the depths of Hecate's soul, where she had thought her true feelings for Ada were safely buried? Was Miss Amethyst unusually perceptive? Or could everyone see the way Hecate felt? What if her feelings had never been hidden at all? What if they were common knowledge, a running joke among everybody she knew? …What if _Ada_ knew? Ada wouldn't laugh at her, she thought. Sweet, darling Ada, who was always so kind and compassionate… What if she had been gently pitying Hecate all these years? What if their entire friendship had come about just because Ada felt sorry for her? Maybe that was why she had picked Hecate to be her deputy, as a consolation prize for missing out on the love Ada didn't want to give her? Poor unloveable Hecate, who could never dream of deserving anything more...

A babble of voices from outside broke into her thoughts, becoming more hushed as they entered the library, but still loud enough to disturb anybody trying to study. Irritated, Hecate made ready to stride out and confront them when she caught the sound of her name and recognised the voice of Miss Amethyst. Her jaw tightened. Was the woman actively following her around now?

Hecate peered around the bookcase to see her standing in a small knot of other teachers.

"They're _really_ not married?" somebody was asking her.

"No! They're not even together! In fact Miss Hardbroom seemed quite insulted at the idea."

"I can't see why," muttered a wizard who had fallen foul of Hecate's short temper more than once at previous gatherings. "I would have been flattered. If anything I'd say Ada Cackle is out of her league."

"True," giggled a younger witch Hecate didn't know. "Imagine waking up next to that scowl every morning!" Everybody except Miss Amethyst joined in the laughter.

"There's no need to be unkind," she reproached. "Miss Hardbroom can be a little intimidating, but I'm sure she's very nice in her own way. After all, Miss Cackle-" 

"-Didn't marry her," the wizard pointed out.

Miss Amethyst sighed. "I always thought they made such a lovely couple," she said wistfully. "I always hoped that maybe I could have a relationship like that one day. And now it turns out it was all in my head..."

Hecate silently transferred away to the bedroom, immensely relieved to find it empty. She sank onto the bed and hid her face in her hands.

It wasn't the first time she had overheard nasty comments about herself. She was not the best-loved teacher at Cackle's and she had never been the most popular pupil either. She had long ago resigned herself to being disliked by many of those who didn't know her well. But that wizard's offhand remark had hit her hard.

Of course Ada was out of her league. Hecate had always known that. That was why she had forced herself to be content with the friendship Ada had given her so freely. It was enough, a lot of the time. It didn't matter that it wasn't everything. Ada was usually the first person she saw in the mornings, almost always the last person she saw every night. They ate every meal together, worked together, unwound in front of the fire together in the evenings. They'd even gone on holiday together, last summer when Hecate needed a companion to help her become accustomed to the outside world again. The only thing they didn't do was sleep together. Until last night. And sharing a bed with Ada under such awkward circumstances had made Hecate realise that what had felt like enough up until now was never going to satisfy her again. She had gone too far now. And although she could never go any further, it was also too late to turn back.

Hecate had thought she already knew this. She'd thought she was resigned to loving Ada from afar. But sitting on their shared bed on a day where it seemed more than one person had believed her to be Ada's wife, the whole thing felt so hard, and so much more complicated than usual that she couldn't envision a way through it any more.

Hecate dropped her hands, and her eye was caught by a slight movement on the bed beside her. Ada had discarded her pink jumper that morning and left it lying on the quilt. Now something seemed to be wriggling around inside it. Surely the Pendragon didn't have mice? Cautiously, Hecate lifted a fold of the jumper to find Ada's bat nav curled up fast asleep in it, wings fluttering as he dreamed whatever bats dream. Despite herself she smiled, because Ada would have smiled.

"Come on," she said, gently disentangling him from the pink wool. "You can't sleep there. You have a perfectly good perch over here by the window." She wrapped his sleepy little claws around it, double checking that he wouldn't fall off before she let go.

Hecate picked up Ada's jumper intending to fold it neatly and put it away. But she couldn't help holding its softness to her cheek just for a moment, closing her eyes to breathe in the scent of Ada's wild rose conditioner, and the lemongrass soap Hecate made for her. It evoked such a powerful and comforting sense of Ada's presence that she had to open her eyes again to ensure she was still alone.

She found herself filled with the longing to be near Ada again. Hadn't she resolved over lunch to show Ada how much she meant without going so far as to tell her the truth? How could she do that if she kept running away from her? 

Ada didn't know how she felt, Hecate reassured herself. How could she? Hecate had been so careful, so very careful, for so long. Those fears were simply born of stress and lack of sleep. Wherever Miss Amethyst had got her silly ideas from, Ada had seemed astonished by them. The idea of Hecate's being in love with her would never have crossed her mind.

"Enough," she said aloud. Enough of this unproductive worrying. Time to pick up her feelings and file them tidily away again. Time to be there for Ada.

~*~

Hecate was a little early when she arrived at the meeting place but Ada was already there. She was sitting on a bench outside the door with her lecture notes in her lap, eyes fixed on the horizon. She jumped slightly when Hecate materialised in front of her. 

"I hadn't realised how late it was." Ada's face was a little wary, as though she were trying to gauge Hecate's mood before interacting any further.

 _How often do I make her do this,_ Hecate wondered. _How often does she wonder which version of me is going to walk through the door?_

"Did you find what you were looking for in the library?" Ada asked, and Hecate realised she hadn't said anything yet, hadn't given Ada anything to go on.

She tried a smile. "Not really. It was too crowded."

"That's a shame," Ada said gently. "Maybe tomorrow."

"I stopped by our room." Hecate was proud of how casually she had managed to say those last two words, as though they held no significance at all. "I found Darcy trying to nest in your jumper."

Ada's eyes sparked with pleasure at Hecate's use of the bat's name, just as she'd hoped they would.

"At least I won't have to worry about moths," Ada said lightly, and smiled. She patted the bench beside her. Hecate sat with a sigh of relief, knowing that Ada had recognised and accepted her peace offering.

Silence fell, but not uncomfortably. Hecate let herself rest against the feeling of being quiet with Ada.

They watched a cat picking its way along the top of the high wall on the other side of the courtyard, saw it pounce towards a pigeon which took off in a great clattering of wings. The cat lost its balance and fell, flailing wildly and then twisting in mid-air to land neatly on all four paws. Hecate and Ada both relaxed their casting hands. 

"Cats always fall on their feet," Hecate observed. This one turned its back on them, ashamed at its loss of dignity, and began very deliberately to wash its paws. Ada giggled. "Silly thing. Pendle would have known better."

"Pendle is afraid of pigeons."

"Morgana, then."

Hecate smirked. "Morgana would have caught it."

"True." Ada nudged her, holding out a bag. "Lemon drop?" 

"Thank you."

If she were honest, Hecate had never been a fan of lemon drops, but she had been politely accepting them from Ada for so many years now that it had never seemed a good time to say so. She often vanished them back into the packet when Ada wasn't looking, but she popped this one into her mouth and tried to look as though she were enjoying it, as a silent penance for her words that morning.

People were beginning to arrive in twos and threes now, making their way inside for the first of the lectures.

Hecate nodded towards the papers in Ada's lap. "Are you feeling ready?"

Ada grinned. "I have a good feeling about it, Great Wizard or no Great Wizard."

"It's a good speech," said Hecate seriously. "I'm sure you'll do well. People listen to you."

"Sometimes," Ada said, her face twisting in the way that always meant she was thinking of her sister. Hecate did not respond. She was not prepared to talk about Agatha.

With a visible effort, Ada pushed her sister out of her mind. She tapped the papers on her knee, letting them fall together into a tidy stack. "Shall we go in?"

Hecate stood first, and held out a hand to help Ada up from the bench. Ada squeezed her hand as she stood, giving her half a glance and a shy little smile. If Hecate hadn't known better, she might have thought Ada was blushing.

 _We're still friends,_ she thought, as they stepped over the threshold together. _That's really all that matters._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The accidental marriage may not be literal but I'm still adding it to the tags because they are so accidentally married without even realising


	4. Chapter 4

The first two lectures were informative, if not particularly well delivered. Hecate diligently took notes throughout, doing her best to ignore the shiver that ran through her each time Ada leaned over to whisper in her ear when something especially interested her.

Finally it was Ada's turn to step up to the platform. Hecate wanted to wish her luck, to convey the absolute confidence she had in Ada's ability to do this. But she couldn't find the words in time, so she had to content herself with a nod and an earnest look, hoping Ada would get the message.

"And now, to conclude our Innovations in Education series, we have Miss Ada Cackle, Headmistress of the prestigious Cackle's Academy, to talk to us about bringing magical education to children from non magical families." A murmur ran around the hall as the host gestured for Ada to take her place. She took a deep breath and a long look at Hecate before opening her mouth to begin. But she was interrupted before getting a single word out.

"Preposterous!" A red-faced wizard jumped up and began striding down the aisle towards the platform. "I never heard anything so ridiculous in my life!" 

Hecate bristled, ready to leap to Ada's defence. 

But Ada had the situation well in hand. She raised her eyebrows. "Then might I suggest that you look at the program more carefully before attending a lecture? My subject was quite clearly marked."

"You are a disgrace to the name of witch! Polluting the sacred hallows of-" 

Ada waved a hand and the man disappeared. "I think that's quite enough of that," she said firmly. "As we all know, this is rather a controversial topic, but I think if you stop and take the time to listen to our experiences, you'll find…"

Hecate blinked. Transferring hecklers away while making sure they couldn't transfer back in was not unheard of in the witching world, but she had never thought she would see mild, patient Ada do something like that. She shifted in her seat, trying to ignore the unexpected heat between her thighs and hoping that nobody would notice her blush. She did enjoy Ada in a commanding frame of mind.

"...Of course," Ada was saying, "There are a few cultural differences that need to be navigated, but that's simple enough with awareness and support from members of staff. And since primary school education isn't compulsory for witches, the girls from non-magical families do have a bit of an edge there. They arrive at Cackle's already used to a school routine, already knowing how to structure an essay, how to get their homework in on time. That's often quite an adjustment for the girls from witching backgrounds, so it all evens out in the end..."

As the lecture continued, there could be no denying that Ada was in her element. She was all lit up with passion for her subject, waves of enthusiasm rolling off her, sweeping the audience into the palm of her hand. Hecate could see it happening when she was able to tear her eyes from Ada. All around her, faces were shifting from hostile to curious, and from curious to intrigued. Not everybody, of course. The Great Wizard sat frowning on the other side of the aisle. Mutterings of discontent still broke out here and there, and a couple more people walked out. But if anybody were capable of persuading the witching world that this radical idea was worth not only considering but embracing, it was Ada Cackle. Hecate was glad though that she had talked Ada out of bringing Mildred along to speak for herself. The girl had come on in leaps and bounds but her peculiar brand of well-intentioned chaos was too great a risk at a gathering such as this. Better to have the tale told by someone who would tactfully gloss over Mildred's occasional lapses in judgement, and the almost-disasters that had ensued.

Ada was going off-script a little, as Hecate had known she would. She was throwing in a few jokes and anecdotes that would not have made it past Hecate's edits, although she had to admit from the reactions of those around her that they seemed to be a success. Hecate shook her head, but she couldn't help the corners of her mouth turning up. She had always been equally disconcerted and awestruck by Ada's ability to read the room and improvise whatever the moment needed.

There was a small disturbance as the doors opened at the back of the hall, and the clicking of heels coming down the aisle towards the front.

Hecate was poised to step in as Ada's bodyguard in case of any further trouble, but the woman who had walked in only seemed to be searching for somewhere to sit. Hecate found herself assailed by a cloud of perfume as the stranger moved closer. She stopped in front of Hecate and nodded towards the empty seat beside her.

"Do you mind?"

Hecate opened her mouth to say that she minded very much, that this was Ada's seat, and she wasn't going to let anybody else take her place. But the woman sat down without waiting for an answer, and as Ada went on speaking Hecate realised it didn't really matter, because once this was over they would be leaving and Ada would not need her seat again. 

She returned her attention to the lecture.

It was beginning to draw to a close when the woman next to Hecate raised a languid hand. Ada looked startled but finished her sentence and gestured for the woman to speak.

"Yes?"

"I'm sure what you're attempting is very admirable," she drawled, "But it's hardly new, is it? Pentangle's have been taking non magical students for years. Why not just let them get on with it?"

"That's not at all the same thing!" Hecate snapped, before Ada could reply. She had spoken much louder than she'd intended and suddenly all the eyes in the room were upon her. She cleared her throat. and continued "Pentangle's may have accepted the occasional student from a non magical background for one reason or another, but they have never gone so far as to deliberately seek them out. Miss Cackle is proposing a nationwide scheme to track down all descendants of magical families living in the non magical world, as you would know if you had arrived on time to hear the majority of her lecture."

"Thank you, Hecate," said Ada, giving her an affectionate smile. She raised her eyes to scan the rest of the audience. "Now that everybody's up to speed, I will be leaving time for more specific questions in a few moments..."

Hecate's neighbour didn't seem at all embarrassed at having shown herself up. She lounged back in her chair, her attention focused not on Ada but on Hecate, a faint smile playing across her lips.

There were a lot more questions from the audience than they had anticipated, and the dinner bell had sounded by the time Ada answered the last one and said a few words to wrap everything up. Hecate rose to her feet as soon as Ada finished speaking, applauding for all she was worth. Most of the audience followed her example. She was there to meet Ada the moment she stepped down from the platform. She felt breathless and slightly dazzled as Ada gave her a brilliant smile.

"Ada!" she managed, taking both Ada's hands and clasping them in an unprecedented display of public emotion. "Ada, that was-"

"Absolutely wonderful!" interrupted a tall wizard, pushing between them.  _ I was going to say that,  _ thought Hecate, filling with resentment. She glowered at him. How dare this strange wizard take the words out of her mouth just as she was about to offer them to Ada? Could he not find words of his own? And couldn't he wait his turn?

"So inspiring!" twittered Miss Amethyst at Ada's elbow.

"Perhaps you could advise me-" began a witch in a blue dress.

"You  _ must _ come and sit beside us at dinner," trumpeted another wizard taking Ada's arm and beginning to steer her away. "I want to tell you all about a fascinating little project I heard about down in…"

The crowd surged around Ada, everybody talking over each other in their attempt to congratulate her and win her attention. She was swept out of the door on a sea of well wishers, leaving Hecate standing abandoned at the front of the hall.

It had all happened so quickly she had no time to think. Hecate watched the room emptying of people, feeling slightly dazed. She took a few steps down the aisle and found her way blocked by the woman who had been sitting next to her.

"All alone?"

Hecate considered this to be an inane question, so she didn't bother to answer it. She took in the woman's appearance for the first time.

Like Hecate, she was tall, dressed all in black and had her long dark hair piled up on top of her head. Unlike Hecate, she had a generously curvaceous figure and a plunging neckline, and she had left stray tendrils of hair tumbling down out of her bun. They caught the light, shimmering as she moved, and Hecate realised they were not black as she had supposed, but a very dark purple. It was quite an impressive glamour spell, she had to admit, although she herself preferred hand-dyeing her hair over a cauldron in the traditional way. Hecate kept her eyes carefully averted from the woman's chest. She was wearing a chunky necklace that was unpleasantly reminiscent of the one Ada had been turned into, and it was sending shudders down Hecate's spine.

The stranger didn't seem disconcerted by Hecate's lack of response. She gave a conspiratorial smile. 

"I admire that you stood up for your boss like that. Smart move. We need to make them think we're indispensable."

"I was merely correcting your mistake," said Hecate stiffly.

The stranger winked. "Of course you were." She jerked her head towards the empty doorway. "Deserted you for now though, hasn't she? Now that she's suddenly flavour of the month."

Hecate began to move away. "I was just going to join her."

"Oh, she won't have time for you now. She'll be far too busy with all her new admirers." The woman was keeping pace with Hecate.

"Ada isn't like that," Hecate tried to say, but her throat had gone dry and it came out as a whisper.

"Then why didn't she wait for you?"

_ Ada Cackle is out of her league, _ snickered the insidious little voice in Hecate's memory. She couldn't think of anything to say.

The woman linked her arm with Hecate's and drew her across the courtyard. "I suppose you'll just have to come and have dinner with me."

Hecate wasn't feeling at all enthusiastic about this idea. But as they entered the dining room and she scanned the tables, there seemed to be very few seats left. There were certainly none at the table where Ada sat with her back to the door, bending forward to listen to an excitable bespectacled witch sitting opposite.

"This will do," said her new companion, pulling out a chair for her. 

Hecate sat, and resigned herself to another unenjoyable meal.

~*~

Ada leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She had been gratified and humbled by all the attention she had received after her lecture but it had become rather overwhelming and in the end she'd only escaped by visiting the loos and then turning herself invisible on the way out. She wondered why Hecate hadn't come with her to dinner. Perhaps she just hadn't wanted to be in that crowd, but Ada would have appreciated her presence. She'd managed to catch a quick glimpse of Hecate a few tables away, apparently deep in conversation with the striking dark haired woman who had been rude during the lecture, which seemed odd.

Safe in the knowledge that nobody could interrupt her now, she let the clamour of the noisy bar fade into the background while she tried to process all that had happened today.

At least they had worked out the mystery of the bed, even if that had led to uncomfortable new complications. Ada hadn't been lying when she told Hecate she thought it was funny. It would be hard not to laugh at such an absurd situation. But it was also hard not to feel…  _ grief _ was the word that came to mind. Grief for the life she could have had, if Miss Amethyst had been right. If Hecate had loved her.

Ada had made herself chat and smile all through breakfast with the weight and the want of it in her chest. So she had not felt she had the resources, once they were alone, to deal with Hecate's rant about unwanted romance. Despite doing her best to make allowances, it had hurt her deeply, so she'd removed herself from the situation as quickly and kindly as she could.

She was able to feel more objective about it now. Hecate had just been... well, she had just been Hecate. Quick to react, a little tactless in the heat of the moment. That was all. The violence of her reaction and the silence at lunch had only been shock at the enormity of Miss Amethyst's mistake. She didn't like people to get things wrong, and the whole thing was embarrassing. It hadn't been anything personal. 

It had taken half the day for Ada to persuade herself of this, but she had got there in the end. If she'd had any lingering doubts, they had started to go when Hecate made an effort to use Darcy's name, and they'd disappeared entirely with her reaction to the lecture.

In spite of her optimism, Ada had felt a little nervous when she first stood up on the platform and surveyed the sea of faces in front of her. But Hecate had quietly given her courage. Whenever Ada looked towards the front row, there she was, sitting on the edge of her seat, gazing at her with rapt attention, as though she hadn't helped to write these words and read them a dozen times over.

Hecate was usually beside or behind her while she gave speeches, so it wasn't often that Ada could see her face. Did Hecate always look at her like that? If so, how had she never felt it burning into the back of her neck? Ada had begun to find it hard to let her eyes rest anywhere else, and had to remind herself sternly not to address the entire lecture to the one person in the room who didn't need any convincing.

Even making allowances for her temperament, it was hard to reconcile the Hecate of the lecture hall with the contemptuous and distant behaviour of earlier in the day. Ada sighed and massaged her temples, not sure she would ever fully understand the enigma that was Hecate Hardbroom.

_...Unless, _ whispered the tiny voice in the back of her mind the one she couldn't always close her ears to,  _ Unless… You know what she's like. Isn't this just the reaction she might have if she really did have feelings for you and was trying too hard to hide it? _

_ I'd know,  _ Ada insisted, giving the same answer she always gave.  _ It's been years. If Hecate loved me back, I would know by now. I would have seen it. _

_ … Maybe you saw it today,  _ the voice prompted.  _ Maybe you saw it last night, when she held your hand. _

It wasn't often that Ada wished she weren't an optimist. But when it came to Hecate, she couldn't help thinking it might have been easier to have completely given up hope long ago, instead of always having this little nagging part of her on the lookout for signs of love.

Ada's musings were abruptly cut short by a body pressing her into the wall. Her eyes flew open.

"Hecate!"

_ "Ada?" _

Hecate spun around, eyes darting everywhere in vain. Ada realised she was still cloaked in her invisibility spell, and removed it.

"I meant to lean against the wall," said Hecate, distinctly ruffled. "Why were you invisible?"

"Sorry. I just wanted five minutes' peace. Everybody's been very kind, but they wouldn't leave me alone and I needed to get away for a bit."

"I see," said Hecate neutrally.

"I missed you at dinner," Ada said, sounding more plaintive than she had intended. "Were you alright? Why didn't you come with me?"

Hecate looked at the floor. "You were busy."

"I'm never too busy for you."

A dull flush crept over Hecate's cheeks and she looked uncomfortable for a moment, making Ada wish she had been a little less honest. 

But then Hecate met her eyes again, and her mouth turned up at the corners. "I told you your lecture would be well received."

Ada laughed. "You didn't say I was going to be mobbed afterwards."

"You did so well, Ada."

Ada could feel the blush rising in her own cheeks now. "They were your words too."

" _ Most _ of them," said Hecate, with mock severity. "I don't recall all of it being in your notes."

"...Maybe not all of it," Ada admitted, slightly sheepish. "I can't seem to help myself sometimes when I get up there and start talking."

"You did beautifully," said Hecate softly. This was the highest praise Ada had ever heard from her, and she wasn't quite sure what to do with it.

"And the way you dealt with the heckler…" Hecate went on. She looked flustered for a moment and then regained her composure. "Where did you transfer him to?"

"Down to the hotel gates. He seemed to have a lot of negative energy. I thought it might do him good to use it up on climbing all those stairs again."

Hecate smirked. Ada was about to thank her for dealing with the second heckler, and to ask how Hecate had ended up having dinner with her, when she heard her name being called from the middle of the room.

They looked up to see the Great Wizard sailing towards them, effortlessly parting the crowd.

"Well met, Miss Cackle! A very impressive speech. You have certainly given us all a lot of food for thought."

_ We haven't changed your mind yet,  _ Ada thought.  _ But you can see which way the wind is blowing this evening, so you'll champion our cause for now.  _ Aloud, she said "Well met Your Greatness. We're so pleased you could be here today."

"Well met, sir." Hecate bowed.

"Ah, Miss Hardbroom! Good to see you. How are you getting on with your adopted daughter?"

A spasm of pain crossed Hecate's face. "I…" She cast Ada a pleading glance.

Ada laid a hand on her arm. "Miss Hardbroom was extremely grateful for your help in that matter, Your Greatness. However, shortly afterwards new information came to light and we were able to trace Indigo's birth mother. They have now been reunited."

"I see," said Hellebore awkwardly. That must have been... well, I hope it's all worked out for the best. Are you, er, still in touch…?"

Hecate swallowed. "In a manner of speaking," she managed to say.

"Right. Jolly good. Well if you'll excuse me, there's someone I have to…" He bustled away towards a group of noisy wizards on the other side of the room. Hecate closed her eyes.

"Come and sit down," Ada said gently. "Let's have a drink."

Hecate gave her half a smile. "A drink would be good."

They settled at a quiet table with glasses of wine.

Ada glanced at Hecate. She was watching the Great Wizard, her eyes full of discomfort.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ada asked.

Hecate frowned. "I wasn't expecting it to be brought up tonight. I didn't know what to tell him. It's a grey area, but what I did wasn't strictly legal. I appreciated your stepping in."

"Well we seem to have satisfied his curiosity," said Ada, as the Great Wizard's booming laugh rang out across the chattering crowd. "Let's hope it doesn't come up again."

Hecate twisted her fingers around the stem of her glass. "I did do the right thing, didn't I?" she asked. "I did what was best for Indigo?"

She hadn't asked Ada that question since the day it happened. But Ada gave her the same answer she had back then. It was the only possible answer she could give. "You did, my dear. Of course you did."

"Thank you," Hecate whispered. "It was easier to believe that with Azura around. But with her being back home for the whole summer…"

"You know, I was wondering about that," Ada said. "I thought perhaps we should start a tradition of a quick home visit during the summer holidays for all the girls from non magical families, just to make sure they're getting on alright and try to smooth out any tensions there might be between them and their families. It must be a big change for them, suddenly having to spend all that time in a non magical environment after a year with us. They might be in need of some pastoral care. What do you think? Would you like to see Azura and Indigo at home?"

"Ohh," breathed Hecate. "Yes. Maybe?"

"There's no rush," Ada assured her. “Take some time to think about it. I can go alone if you'd prefer."

Hecate nodded. "I will. And… Ada?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Ada patted her hand. "You're welcome dear. And thank  _ you, _ for leaping to my defence during the lecture."

Hecate blushed and looked at the table. "I'm sure you would have been quite capable of defending yourself."

"Maybe I would. But it's always nice to know you've got my back."

Ada always made a point of thanking Hecate for standing up for her, ever since that dreadful day when Agatha had impersonated her during the Great Wizard's visit. Gwen had told Ada afterwards of Hecate's impassioned speech in her defence, and Hecate, after a glass of witches brew, had let slip enough of the ensuing conversation with Agatha for Ada to be determined that Hecate should never be made to feel like that again.

She looked back up and smiled at Hecate now, wanting to reassure her that all was well between them.

"Ada…" Hecate leaned forward, voice soft and eyes full of earnestness.

"Yes?" Ada whispered, unable to look away. Sometimes, when Hecate said her name like that, Ada could  _ almost  _ believe she might...

"Hecate! I wondered where you'd disappeared off to!" A tall figure loomed between them and Ada recognised Hecate's dinner companion. 

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, without waiting for an answer before summoning a chair for herself and setting her own drink down on the table.

Ada sighed, and found herself squashing down an irrational urge to vanish the woman's chair from under her. It seemed she was doomed never to get a moment alone with Hecate today. Hecate had sat up straight in her chair again and Ada could see her withdrawing back into herself, the softness retreating until she was all hard angles again.

Ada tried to smile at the intruder. "Well met," she lied. "I don't believe we've been introduced?"

"Well met." The stranger gave the bare minimum of a greeting gesture. "Gloria Stormforth. I'm the new head of sixth form at Moonridge High."

_ Poor Moonridge High,  _ Ada thought. "Oh yes," she said, as though she had only just remembered, "You asked about Pentangle's."

"I do apologise for interrupting your lecture. No offence meant of course," Gloria said insincerely.

Ada gave her a bland smile. "None taken," she replied, equally insincere.

There was a slightly awkward silence. Ada found they were both looking at Hecate, who seemed oblivious, staring out of the window and winding the chain of her timepiece around one finger.

"I spent three years working at Moonridge High before coming back to Cackle's," Ada said, to break the silence. "I was speaking to Charles Moonridge after dinner. He was very interested in the possibility of opening up the school to a wider variety of students."

Gloria looked faintly irritated. "He hasn't discussed this with me. I'm sure I can persuade him to see sense. Standards must be upheld, after all. We don't want to lose our place in the league tables."

"He seemed quite determined," Ada said wickedly. "Perhaps he doesn't feel obliged to discuss his first year admissions policy with the new head of sixth form." She gave a sweet smile. “I'm sure there will be students from non magical families at Moonridge before long."

Gloria shrugged, a muscle twitching in her jaw. "Maybe in the lower school," she said dispassionately. "It will be quite some time before any of them make it into  _ my _ classroom, if they ever do."

"It's not unusual for Cackle's girls to go on to Moonridge for the sixth form," Ada pointed out. "You might be teaching students from non magical families sooner than you think."

"Oh yes," drawled Gloria, looking down her nose at Ada. "I forgot you only go up to year five."

_ This is ridiculous, _ Ada thought.  _ Why am I sitting here arguing with this woman I don't even know? _

Gloria had clearly come to the same conclusion because she turned away from Ada and began talking with Hecate.

Ada watched them resentfully. She was beginning to have the jittery feeling she'd always got after spending too much time with her sister. 

Of course Gloria Stormforth looked nothing like Agatha. Because she looked nothing like Ada. But she sounded a little like Agatha. And she dressed the same way.

Ada glanced down at her own outfit. The soft grey dress and purple belt that had felt elegant this morning now seemed dowdy in comparison with Gloria's exquisitely tailored black suit and killer heels.  _ She doesn't even need heels,  _ whispered a voice in the back of Ada's mind.  _ Her legs must be at least a mile long all by themselves.  _ She tried not to shuffle her own ballet flats under the table, uncomfortably aware that they did nothing to increase her modest height.

Ada had gone through phases of wearing heels in her twenties and thirties, mostly because Agatha always wore them and Ada didn't like having to look up to her. But although both twins had always felt a little insecure about their stature, Ada had eventually decided she preferred comfort over height, and happily worn flat shoes ever since. She had become so used to looking up to Hecate, and proudly watching class after class of students overtake her, that it was very rare these days for those insecurities to return.

Ada did her best to listen politely as Gloria monopolised the conversation but she was becoming increasingly irritated. She and Hecate had been in the middle of what felt like the first real conversation they'd had all day. Hecate had looked as though she were about to say something significant, something that might have paved the way out of this strange tension that had been between them ever since their arrival. Possibly something that would have made it less awkward for them to get into the same bed again tonight. 

Instead they were stuck listening to a complete stranger going on about the time she'd appeared in Which Witch. Ada had been featured in the magazine several times herself, but couldn't be bothered to make a point of it. 

She knew from experience that Hecate was unlikely to return to her previous confiding mood now that they had been interrupted. But there was still a chance that, with care and gentleness, she could be persuaded to recreate it if they were alone again.

Gloria gave a tinkling laugh at something Hecate said, and Ada finally admitted to herself why it was that this woman was bothering her so much. It wasn't simply that she was rude and pushy and apparently had the self awareness of a mosquito. Gloria Stormforth was looking at Hecate exactly the way Agatha used to, and it was making Ada's skin crawl.

Hecate seemed to be responding the way she had with Agatha in those early days; quietly uncomfortable, rigidly polite.

_ Enough, _ thought Ada.  _ Time to get us both out of here. _ She made a show of looking at her watch. "It's probably time for us to be getting back to our room."

"Where are you sleeping?" asked Gloria, eyes fixed on Hecate.

"In the east wing."

She raised her perfect eyebrows. "Aren't they the  _ double _ rooms?"

"Yes," said Ada flatly, shifting a little closer to Hecate and wishing she had the confidence to take her arm and show this predatory woman just how unwelcome she was. On another occasion, she might have done so, but although she had forgiven Hecate's outrage at Miss Amethyst's mistake, it was not forgotten. Best not to upset Hecate with something she might see as feeding into the assumption.

Gloria's eyes flicked between the two of them. "I see. So you're…?"

"It was an administrative error," said Hecate suddenly, leaving Ada feeling as though she had been punched in the chest.

"Ahh," purred Gloria. "So there would be no objection to my asking you to join me for another drink?" Her whole body was angled towards Hecate, effectively excluding Ada from the conversation.

"Well we do need to be up early for-" Ada tried. But she was interrupted by Hecate.

"No objection." Her face was unreadable. She looked down at Ada and gave her a tight smile. "You go on to bed. I'll try not to disturb you when I come in."

"Marvellous!" exclaimed Gloria, placing a hand just under Hecate's belt and steering her away towards the bar. Ada thought she saw Hecate's shoulders stiffen at the contact. But she had followed the woman willingly enough. There was nothing more for Ada to do but stumble back to their bedroom and try not to let her tears fall until she had closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to leave you there. I promise things get a lot happier in the next chapter, and it might just start living up to the E rating ;)
> 
> Given that there's always a really small number of girls onscreen, I'm choosing to believe that there are a lot more students at Cackle's than we ever see, and that Izzy and Azura were not the only new girls from non-magical backgrounds in S4, otherwise it's a bit of a stretch to imagine that Ada would have been asked to lecture on it already.


	5. Chapter 5

Hecate drummed her fingernails on the bar, resisting the urge to look at the clock again. She had been sitting there for almost an hour now, drinking faster than she normally would as she endeavoured to appear at least slightly interested in Miss Stormforth's constant name-dropping while ignoring her barely veiled innuendos. Surely Ada would be safely asleep by now? After all, she had seemed to want an early night. If Hecate could only endure this awful woman's attentions for a little longer she could be confident in being able to make her escape and slip quietly into bed beside a sleeping Ada without having to go through any of yesterday's excruciating awkwardness. 

It was a kindness to Ada as well as herself, the biggest thing Hecate could offer her tonight - a chance to peacefully fall asleep on her own without having to make allowances for anybody else.

Their conversation had been getting perilously emotional before Miss Stormforth showed up. She wasn't sure exactly what she had been about to say to Ada before the interruption, only that her earlier resolution not to bring up the marriage misunderstanding seemed to have melted away in the face of Ada's warmth. She wanted to say something nice to Ada, something to make her understand. Not the whole truth but at least a tiny part of it. Ada had to know she was more than worthy of love.

Hecate had been furious at the interruption, and ached to regain the intimacy they'd had a moment before. But there had been a simultaneous desire to escape. It felt too dangerous to have her emotions running so close to the surface before sleeping by Ada's side. Who knew what that sort of closeness might lead her to do when sleep began to wear away her defences? Even before they reached the bedroom, if Ada had taken her hand and smiled at her like that just one more time, Hecate wasn't sure she would have been able to prevent herself from leaning across the table to kiss her.

"...Hecate?" Miss Stormforth's fingers were curled around Hecate's wrist. They felt alien and deeply unwelcome.

Hecate jumped and pulled her arm away. "Sorry?"

"I said would you like to join me for a stroll in the grounds? The moon is spectacular tonight." Miss Stormforth's face was very close and she was eyeing Hecate's mouth as though she might lunge for it at any moment. "Or you could come to my room for a nightcap?" She leaned in further.

"Forgive me," Hecate said abruptly, getting to her feet. "I'm tired. I'd better get some sleep."

Miss Stormforth leapt up. "I'll see you to your door," she said, reaching out a hand. 

"No need." Hecate transferred away before the other woman could touch her again. She stood still for a moment after she materialised, leaning into the deep sense of relief that came with her escape. She was going to have to find a strategy for avoiding Miss Stormforth for the rest of their stay.

"Hecate?"

Hecate blinked and realised she had appeared not just outside the door as she had meant to, but right at the foot of their bed, where Ada was sitting hugging a pillow. It was unlike her to misjudge a transference spell. The wine must have been stronger than she had realised.

"Did you have a nice evening?" Ada asked quietly. There was something not quite right about her expression but Hecate couldn't pin it down.

Hecate sighed. "Not really." 

Something flickered in Ada's eyes for a second, but it was gone when she said, "I'm sorry about that. Are you alright, dear?"

_ No,  _ Hecate wanted to say.  _ No, I'm really, really not. Please can you just hold me and make everything alright? _

"...She tried to kiss me," she said aloud, surprising herself.

"And... you didn't want to?" Ada asked. She was watching Hecate very intently, with an adorable little frown between her eyebrows.

"Of course I didn't," said Hecate blankly, wishing they could be talking about anything other than kissing right now. Ada had left those top two buttons undone again and Hecate was finding it quite hard to look anywhere else. "I just…" she trailed off, remembering too late that she couldn't tell Ada her real reason for wanting to stay out late. She tried to remember a single interesting thing Miss Stormforth had said that day. "Er… Moonridge High have been trialling that new range of self-heating cauldrons. I wanted to know how they compare."

Ada's frown deepened. "I thought you said they were a ridiculous gimmick that wouldn't last five minutes." 

Usually Hecate felt flattered that Ada paid such careful attention to her words, but at times like this it was highly inconvenient. "I wanted to make sure," she muttered, grabbing her pyjamas and retreating with them into the bathroom.

She undressed without magic, in a vain attempt to prolong the process in case Ada might somehow still fall asleep before she returned. She felt queasy and close to tears. That whole unpleasant, interminable evening had been for nothing. Ada was still awake. And now Hecate would have to walk back in there and climb into bed beside her like…  _ Like a wife,  _ whispered a voice in her head.

She unwound her tight bun and shortened her fingernails so that she could massage some of the tension out of her scalp. This entire conference was beginning to feel like a complete fiasco. True, Ada had given that wonderful speech, and they really seemed to be starting to see a shift in the general perception of students from non magical backgrounds. It could be the beginning of a whole new chapter for the witching world. But in this moment, all of that felt very small and far away compared with the horrors of their difficult journey here, everything that had happened last night, Miss Amethyst's disconcerting assumptions and the awfulness of this evening. Not to mention whatever atrocities she might commit in her sleep tonight. Hecate began to brush her hair so vigorously that it billowed out into a wavering nimbus around her, crackling and sparking static with every stroke.

Standing in her underwear, she examined herself in the mirror. The comments she overheard in the library may have stung, but overall Hecate did not consider herself to be undesirable. The hunger in Gloria Stormforth's eyes had been unmistakable, and plenty of others had looked at her like that over the years. She had even been to bed with a couple of them, visitors to conferences held at Cackle's in the early years. The trouble was she hardly ever seemed to attract anybody remotely likeable. She couldn't imagine anybody as wonderful as Ada ever being interested in her.

Hecate gathered up the masses of her hair again and wove them into a loose plait that hung down over one shoulder. She put on her pyjamas, and dawdled over the rest of her bedtime routine for as long as she could before finally screwing up all her courage and walking back into the bedroom to face Ada.

She was sitting just as Hecate had left her, except that she had put the pillow back and was now hugging her knees instead. She was still frowning, and chewing on her lower lip.

"Hecate…" Ada said as Hecate gingerly lifted the blankets and slid in beside her. Then she didn't say anything else, just sat there staring straight ahead.

"...Yes?" Hecate prompted after a while. Her back was aching from sitting on the bar stool so long but she didn't want to lie down while Ada was still sitting up.

"I just wanted to say… I'm not a prude, Hecate. If you did want to… to spend the night with somebody at one of these conferences then as your headmistress, I wouldn't disapprove. These things happen, there's no shame in it. Goodness knows most of us don't get much of a chance to meet anybody during term time." 

_ I met you _ , Hecate thought. Ada's tone seemed tinged with bitterness. Was she jealous that Hecate had been singled out? Had she perhaps been hoping to attract Miss Stormforth's attention herself? She wasn't sure the woman would be Ada's type, but really she had very little idea what Ada's type might be. It wasn't the sort of thing they had ever discussed. She could remember Ada going out on a lot of dates for a while, long ago, but she had never brought anybody back to the castle. 

Hecate cleared her throat. "I, er, appreciate the clarification, but I really didn't find her very attractive."

"Oh," Ada said. She slid down the bed and flopped back onto her pillow. Hecate lay down too, hoping very much that they were finished with this conversation. They were both silent for a while, staring at the ceiling. Then Ada turned to face her.

"I thought she was very pretty."

Hecate shrugged. "I suppose so." Ada must have been jealous, she thought. She wondered fleetingly about offering to set her up with Miss Stormforth but decided she just couldn't bear it.

"And so tall." Ada made a face as though she hadn't quite meant to say that out loud.

Hecate's lip twitched. "Tall isn't really my type," she said before she could stop herself. She would never usually admit something like that in front of Ada, and wondered what had made her say it. Probably the wine.

"Really?" There was a small sniff from the pillow beside her, then another. Hecate turned in time to see a tear trickle down Ada's cheek. She rolled closer.

"Ada! What is it?" 

Ada did not reply, but the tears continued to flow. Before she had time to think about it Hecate found herself summoning Azura's handkerchief and gently wiping them away. This startled Ada so much that she stopped crying at once.

"What's the matter?" Hecate asked again, crumpling the handkerchief into a ball. It was taking all her strength not to pull Ada into her arms.

Ada sniffed again. "You'll think I'm silly."

"I won't."

Ada took a deep breath. "I've just always wished I were taller." 

This was so far from anything Hecate had been expecting her to say that she wasn't sure how to respond. But Ada still looked so sad, and the urge to comfort her was so strong that the alcohol running through Hecate's veins pushed her into blurting out the first thought that popped into her head. 

"But then I'd never be able to see down your dress."

Ada's mouth fell open. "You… you like to look down my-" 

Hecate closed her eyes, wondering wildly whether she could make a case to the Magic Council for using a loop potion to erase the last few seconds. How in the name of all enchantments was she supposed to get through tonight now? And the rest of the conference? And the rest of her career, after admitting to her employer that she very occasionally indulged in appreciating their height difference?

"Not on purpose!" she said hastily. "But sometimes I can't help noticing and I…" she trailed off, waiting for Ada to scramble out of the bed and back away from her, or to ask Hecate to leave.

Ada didn't move. Her astonishment was melting into an expression of pure delight. "You appreciate the view?" 

Hecate nodded. "I do. ...I'm sorry," she added.

If anyone had told her half an hour ago that she and Ada would be lying in bed gazing into each other's eyes and having this conversation she would have assumed it was some kind of joke. But here they were, and far from being disgusted with her, Ada was grinning from ear to ear. Why did she look so happy? She couldn't possibly  _ want  _ Hecate to stare at her cleavage. ...Could she?

"Well!" Ada exclaimed. "I shall bear that in mind from now on, when I'm choosing my clothes." She winked.

Hecate had a sudden vision of Ada in her favourite dress, of herself looking, and Ada knowing she was looking, and enjoying it. Desire unfurled inside her and she licked her lips.

"What else do you like to look at?" Ada's tone was gently curious, as though she were merely asking Hecate what she'd had for dinner, but her gaze was intent and her fingers were curled tightly around the corner of her pillow.

Hecate knew this was her chance to retreat from the moment of closeness as she always had before, but Ada's impossible smile had diverted them onto a path leading in a completely different direction. Hecate had no idea where they were heading. She only knew that it felt immeasurably better than anything that had happened to her for a very long time.

"Your eyes," she whispered, stepping back into slightly less scandalous territory. "They're so beautiful."

"Thank you." Ada drew her lower lip in through her teeth and slowly pushed it out again. Hecate watched in awe as the blood blossomed inside it.

"Your lips." She couldn't stop herself reaching out to trace a finger over Ada's mouth. Ada lightly kissed her fingertip and they both blushed and looked away.  _ This is happening,  _ thought Hecate _ , I'm in bed with Ada, and she  _ **_likes_ ** _ it… _ For a moment this seemed more frightening than the prospect of Ada's rejection. She felt a fleeting panicky desire to transfer away, but she forced herself to stay present. Ada's fingers gently encircled Hecate's wrist before her thumb stroked over the inside and up into her palm. "I've spent years trying not to stare at your hands," she admitted.

Hecate swallowed. "Yours too," she said huskily. "I want- I always want…"

"What?" asked Ada, eyes alight with hope.

"Hold me?" pleaded Hecate. "I just want to be touching you."

Ada was already pulling her into a full-length embrace that was quite the most wonderful sensation Hecate had ever experienced. 

She had thought it felt good last night, having Ada in her arms. But that had been nothing compared with the joy of Ada's hands sliding over her back, Ada's body deliberately pressing against hers, thigh to thigh, hip to hip, breast to breast. Ada nuzzled into her neck, leaving a kiss where Hecate's pulse quickened against her lips. Hecate drew a shaky breath and Ada pulled back at once.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have done that without ask-"

Hecate's mouth was on hers before she finished speaking. After a few gentle kisses she took Ada's lower lip between her teeth, flickered her tongue over it and then on into Ada's mouth. Ada moaned and began to kiss back, her thumb caressing the nape of Hecate's neck. Hecate let her fingers trace Ada's jaw, down her neck and into the tantalising hollow of her throat. She could feel Ada's heart beating there, strong and steady against her trembling fingertips. She wanted to cry at the wonder of it.

If Ada wanted her back, then the whole battalion of arguments Hecate had assembled against their being together meant less than nothing. If this was going to make Ada happy, then Hecate could allow herself to be happy too.

She slid her hand under Ada's neckline and held onto her shoulder beneath the nightgown, still kissing and kissing her until their lips were swollen and their breath came short and fast. She wanted to move lower down, but not without asking permission, and she found she couldn't stop kissing Ada for long enough to get the words out. She shifted her hand to just above Ada's breast and stilled there uncertainly. Ada's hand left her hair for long enough to pull Hecate's palm down onto her breast, sighing against Hecate's lips at the contact. Hecate sighed too, and hooked a leg around Ada's waist to pull her closer. Ada's hand was exploring the whole length of her now, gliding smoothly from neck to knee, making her dizzy with want. Hecate gentled their kisses and rested their foreheads together, trying to remember how to breathe.

Ada's hand came up to cup her cheek. "Alright?"

Hecate pulled back and took a moment just to smile at Ada the way she'd always wanted to.

"Yes."

Ada's answering smile was so tender that Hecate's heart swelled in her chest.  _ I love you,  _ she thought. She considered saying it aloud, wondered whether she ought to have done that before allowing things to get this far. Before she could come to a conclusion, she was distracted by Ada rubbing the silk of her pyjama collar between finger and thumb. 

"Could I take this off?"

Hecate smiled. "Be my guest." She was surprised to find herself less nervous than she had anticipated. Being in bed with Ada like this was as exhilarating as she had always dreamed, but it was also a lot less nerve-wracking. True, this was uncharted territory, but Ada was still Ada, still the best friend she had ever had, her very presence reassuring and her desire intoxicating. Hecate was enjoying every second of it.

She had been expecting Ada's fingers to slide down her collarbone to the top button. But Ada pulled her hand away. She flexed one finger in a complicated motion and leaned back with a satisfied smile.

One by one, with agonising slowness, Hecate's buttons began to undo themselves. She watched Ada brimming with delight as her chest was exposed, felt Ada's magic tingling over her skin, hot and exciting but also comforting in its familiarity. Ada had never touched her here before, never touched her like this, but they had cast so many spells together over the years that her magical signature had become intertwined with Hecate's own.

"I've always wanted to do that," Ada said smugly as the last button slipped free and she vanished the pyjama top. She ran her fingers over Hecate's bare waist, eyes lingering on her breasts. "It was very much worth the wait."

Hecate felt the blush rising up her chest. She had more than one outfit that fastened with a lot of buttons. She imagined Ada eyeing her across the office when she wasn't looking, thinking about undoing them. The heat in her chest rushed downwards. She closed her eyes and leaned into the lingering traces of Ada's magic, grounding herself there as Ada's hands and Ada's mouth started doing unfamiliar and wonderful things.

She vanished her own trousers after a while, smiling at Ada's pleasure in discovering that Hecate's underwear had gone with them. Ada's hand squeezed her hip, skimmed the length of her thigh and up again. She paused, and her eyes met Hecate's questioningly. Hecate nodded, wet and waiting. She shifted her legs further apart and all the breath left her body as Ada touched her.

Ada's eyes widened when she felt Hecate's want. "Is this… Hecate, is this for me?"

"Always," breathed Hecate, her vision blurring as Ada's fingers began to move. "Ada, it's always for you."

_ "Oh,"  _ said Ada. She bit her lip again. "Me too. Sometimes just seeing you makes me…" She hitched up her nightdress and took Hecate's hand, giving her time to pull away if she wanted. She brought it to where wetness had soaked through her knickers. 

Hecate let out a moan. "Can I-"

The knickers were gone in an instant.  _ "Yes," _ said Ada, and there were no more words after that.

They hadn't set a silencing spell, Hecate remembered as she neared the edge. It was too late to do that now, so she bit down on Ada's shoulder to stifle her cry. Ada gasped, then made noise enough for both of them, clenching around Hecate's fingers and raking her nails over Hecate's back. Hecate stayed quiet, letting Ada voice everything within them both, all the long years of wanting and heartbreak and holding back. She took deep breaths and tried to keep her hand steady for Ada as her hips still twitched with her own orgasm. She knew now without doubt that Ada had wanted her for a very long time. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. In this glorious, glowing moment it seemed incomprehensible that neither of them had ever reached out for it until now.

Ada's moans subsided and she hung onto Hecate's shoulders, trying to get her breath back.

"That was…" she shook her head helplessly.

Hecate kissed her. "I know."

"But I've never… Not both coming at once like that…"

"Me neither," Hecate admitted. The corner of her mouth quirked up. "But then we are supposedly married." She wondered whether it might have been too soon to bring that up. But Ada giggled.

"True. We've always done everything else together."

Hecate was expecting Ada to move back to her own side of the bed now, was resigning herself to having to let her go even though all she wanted was to hold her until morning. But when Ada did move, it was only to come closer, wrapping herself around Hecate and placing soft kisses all down her neck. Hecate gave a little hum of happiness. She had never been with anybody who wanted to stay present with her afterwards. Did this have to be afterwards though? Hecate felt she wouldn't have minded carrying on all night, if Ada were willing, although she wasn't sure she had the courage to suggest it.

Ada stopped kissing her and became still, her lips staying on Hecate's neck, her breathing deepening until Hecate wondered whether she might have fallen asleep.

But then Ada took a deeper breath and spoke, leaning back a little so she could see Hecate's face.

"Hecate, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you spend this evening with that horrible woman?"

"Ah." Hecate wasn't quite sure where to look. "I can assure you it wasn't for the pleasure of her company. She's insufferable. But last night was… it was hard, going to bed with you like that, trying not to want-" Hecate gestured vaguely towards Ada's arm around her waist. "It didn't seem fair to you. I thought it might be easier for both of us if I stayed away and let you have time to fall asleep alone. She gave me an excuse."

"Ohhh," said Ada. "That was very... gallant of you, dear. But on the whole, I think I would prefer you to come to bed with me than to spend your evenings in bars with insufferable women."

"I would prefer that too," said Hecate. She hesitated, and then made herself meet Ada's eyes again. "I've made you unhappy today." 

"Yes," Ada said simply, and Hecate was glad she wasn't trying to make excuses for her.

"I didn't mean to," she said. "I would never want to hurt you. I'm very sorry." She had never found it so easy to apologise for anything before.

Ada's eyes were full of compassion. "I know you are. But thank you for saying so." She stroked Hecate's cheek. "It did upset me. I didn't understand what was happening. But now I do. And you did go on to make me very, very happy."

Hecate flushed and gave her a tentative smile. She was unused to having this sort of conversation, but it was feeling more natural by the second.

Ada kissed her before resting her head over Hecate's heart and closing her eyes.

"My Hecate."

Out of nowhere, Hecate found herself crying. Not a delicate little sniffle like Ada had, but great gulping sobs that felt they might tear her in two.

"Hecate!" Ada exclaimed in distress. "Dearest Hecate, what is it?"

Hecate wanted to say that she didn't know, that she had no idea where this had come from. But she didn't, because she realised that lying entwined and sleepy with Ada had brought her back to last night's dreams, and the chilling memories of the end of term. She tried to sit up and explain but found all she could do was cling to Ada and cry as though her heart would break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update may take a while because it's still a mess and I'm knackered but I hope I'm leaving you feeling a bit happier than I did at the end of the last one, even though I went and ended it with more crying.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a bit delayed, I wasn't well enough to write for a while. I hope you find it worth the wait.

When Hecate finally spoke, her voice was scratchy with sobbing and the words tumbled over one another in their effort to escape. 

"...She turned you to glass! And you came apart and I couldn't fix you. I tried so hard, Ada. But I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't clever enough and I couldn't do it. And then she walked down the stairs and I… I thought she was you. Part of me knew. If I'd only stopped to think, I knew something was wrong. Her eyes weren't right. And the way she talked. But I just wanted you back so much I told myself everything was fine. Then she gave me that brooch and I nearly…" she gasped for breath, "I nearly  _ killed _ you, Ada. I was about to use magic and it would have…"

"But you didn't." Ada moved her head to be level with Hecate's on the pillow. She cradled Hecate's face in her hand. "Darling, you didn't. I'm here. And I'm fine. And Agatha's..." Her voice broke then, but she made herself steady it. There was no need to bring her own grief into this. Hecate had already spent too many evenings silently making tea and dispensing clean handkerchiefs while Ada cried for her sister. Ada was only now beginning to understand why Hecate had hovered so close, why her face had been quite so grim. Why she hadn't trusted herself to speak. "...Agatha's gone. And I'll always be here. I'll always be with you." Ada stopped, aware that in her urge to comfort Hecate she had promised far more than she had meant to. Hecate might not want her forever. "For as long as you need me," she added, in case her accidental show of lifelong devotion had made Hecate uncomfortable.

Hecate sobbed even harder, burying her face in Ada's shoulder. Ada held her tight, stroked her hair and waited for her to calm down. She had never seen Hecate like this before, never witnessed such an uninhibited display of emotion, even in the aftermath of the many crises they had pulled each other through over the years. Hecate had never asked her for this kind of comfort before. She hoped she was responding in the right way.

Hecate's breathing became less ragged and she lifted her tearstained face. "When you came back, when it really  _ was _ you, I couldn't even say how I felt. I couldn't even tell you I… I love you."

Ada had seen the love in Hecate's eyes tonight, felt it in every touch, heard it in the way she said her name. And knowing that Hecate often had trouble expressing her emotions, she had thought that would be all, and it would be enough. But hearing Hecate actually say it aloud filled her with such fierce, dizzying joy that for a moment she forgot everything else. She forgot she was supposed to be comforting Hecate. She forgot that Hecate might very reasonably be waiting to see whether Ada was going to say it back. She could only stare at this beautiful, astonishing woman in her arms and wonder what she had ever done to deserve such happiness.

Hecate swallowed, and wiped her eyes. "Ada? Did I... Was it alright for me to say that?"

"Of course!" said Ada, snapping back into herself at once. "Of course it was alright, my love. I guessed... that is I  _ hoped  _ that was how you felt. It just blew me away a little to hear you say it."

"So you…?"

Ada used her thumb to wipe a stray tear from Hecate's cheek. "I love you too."

Hecate closed her eyes and let out a long breath. "Can you… would you mind saying it again?"

"I love you." Ada kissed her ear, smiling to herself as Hecate shivered. "And I'll say it as often as you like."

Hecate's smile trembled a little, but it was still the loveliest thing Ada had ever seen. "I wanted to tell you so much, when you came back. But I couldn't. I almost told Agatha, when I thought she was you. I told her I acted with my heart when I sent Mildred away..."

"Let's not worry about that tonight," Ada soothed, pushing the thought away. She didn't want her sister intruding any further on this precious moment. "You've told me now, and I've told you, and everything's going to be alright."

"Yes," echoed Hecate slowly, worn out from her crying. "Everything's going to be alright." She yawned. "Ada, could I...?" She broke off, looking worried.

"What do you need? You're allowed to ask, dear."

"But you would say no if you didn't want it?"

"Of course I would."

"Would you mind if I held you while I fell asleep?"

"I would love that," said Ada softly, and Hecate's face cleared. She nestled closer with a contented sigh. She mumbled something Ada couldn't quite catch, and in no time at all she had drifted off to sleep.

Ada snapped her fingers to switch off the light, hoping that Hecate's peaceful breathing might calm her own thoughts and let her sleep as well. But lying in the dark with Hecate in her arms, she found her mind becoming busier than ever, roving over all that had been said this evening and everything it made her feel.

She couldn't blame Hecate for introducing the subject of Agatha. It hadn't been deliberate, just a very natural reaction to her newfound emotional release, and Hecate had obviously felt a lot better for getting it all off her chest. Ada couldn't help wishing, all the same, that she could have received this longed for declaration of love without being forced to think about her twin.

Of course, Agatha was never far from Ada's mind, especially these days. But Ada resented that, even in death, her sister had somehow managed to make her presence felt in time to cast a shadow over what should have been a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.

It wasn't the first time Agatha had been the catalyst for change in their relationship, at least on Ada's part. Intentionally or not, she'd had a habit of forcing Ada to reassess her feelings towards everything in her life, and Hecate had been no exception. 

The darkness swam before Ada's eyes, and her thoughts slipped back two decades as though it were no time at all.

~*~

She was forty years old, newly initiated as Headmistress, with her sister by her side. It wasn't going as smoothly as she had hoped. Agatha flipped between charming and irritable at the drop of a hat, and she never did her fair share of what she called "the boring bits". Ada would have been swamped by paperwork if Hecate hadn't quietly stepped in to pick up the slack. Ada persevered though, telling herself that every new working arrangement had to get past a few bumps in the road. She was determined to prove their mother wrong and make their childhood dreams a reality. They could make it work, Ada was sure of it. Most of the time.

Until one night when she was doing her evening rounds, wrapped in an invisibility spell because she had been solving other people's problems all day and wanted to avoid anything further that might wait until morning. She happened upon Agatha backing Hecate into a corner, her voice low and seductive as she put one hand on Hecate's shoulder and raised the other to caress her cheek.

To Ada's astonishment, hot, possessive fury bubbled up inside her. No, it said. Not this time. Not Hecate. I won't let you take her. I won't let you hurt her. She's mine. It took all her self control to keep her magic from boiling to the surface and lashing out at her sister. She was rooted to the spot as realisation of her feelings for Hecate slammed into her. 

Ada had felt drawn to the shy potions mistress ever since they first met, and had enjoyed befriending her, despite their many differences. Hecate wasn't her usual romantic type though, so she'd never thought twice about it. She had assumed it was simply admiration for Hecate's intellect and appreciation of her work ethic, but Agatha trying to claim Hecate for herself shocked Ada into acknowledging a crush stronger than any she had experienced in quite some time. She swallowed down her rage and took a step forward, ready to reveal herself and diffuse the situation if needed.

But Hecate did not need rescuing. Looking appalled, she raised a hand in a defensive stance before thinking better of it and merely transferring away to another part of the castle. Hecate was not interested, that much was clear. Ada couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit smug about that. But Hecate's lack of attraction to Agatha also smothered any hope Ada might have had for herself. After all, didn't she have the same face, the same body? A body that was inhabited - as Ada's college girlfriend had informed her after being caught in Agatha's bed - by a spirit so much less adventurous than her sister's. Agatha was the fascinating one, everybody knew that. If Hecate didn't want her, why on earth should she want Ada?

Besides, her mother had always counselled against workplace relationships.  _ It only ever leads to trouble, _ she would warn, shaking her head.  _ Look at what happened to Gwen.  _

So Ada resigned herself to her crush being unrequited. She tried to set it aside and get on with her work. But it seemed that having feelings for Hecate was making Ada see everything differently. Witnessing that scene in the corridor had opened her eyes to all the little things she had been trying not to see all term.

Agatha had always had a breezy excuse to explain away the various disquieting issues staff and students had tentatively raised with Ada, and Ada had wanted so much to believe in their dream of running the school together, in Agatha's desire to truly be her sister again, that she'd found herself ignoring behaviour she would not have tolerated from anybody else.

She couldn't ignore Agatha's continuing pursuit of Hecate, although she could never quite prove it either. She never caught her sister doing anything openly inappropriate again. But Agatha's advances weren't often refused, and from the way she looked at Hecate, and the way Hecate had stopped looking at anybody at all, Ada was sure that something was still going on.

_ Hecate can't leave _ , Ada remembered with a jolt.  _ She can only escape as far as the walls will let her.  _

Ada invited Hecate for tea while Agatha was away visiting a friend. After several subtle but unsuccessful attempts at persuading Hecate to confide in her, Ada realised two things. Hecate was never going to bring it up. And Ada didn't have it in her to ask directly. If it had been any other two members of staff it wouldn't have been a problem. But she simply could not face asking the friend she was falling for whether she were being harassed by her sister. The words just wouldn't come out.

In her desperation she tried another tack. "Hecate, I know we agreed not to discuss this again. But I'd still like to release you from your confinement..."

Hecate's face drained of colour. "Do you wish to dismiss me?" she asked in a small voice.

"No! No, of course I don't. You know I value you very highly." Ada spoke as warmly as she could. "I'm just saying my offer to lift the confinement always stands, any time you felt you needed to get away from the Academy for a while, for any reason."

A whole procession of emotions passed across Hecate's face, but in the end she only nodded and whispered "Thank you. But no."

Ada was at a loss as to what to do next. She was all alone, newly in charge of the school and with nowhere to turn as far as she could see. There was absolutely no way she was going to ask her mother for advice about this. More often than not these days when presented with a difficult problem, it was Hecate who was Ada's first port of call. Hecate, not Agatha, Ada noted for the first time. Agatha could be wonderfully skilled at problem-solving when she put her mind to it. However she was unpredictable, and if something didn't catch her interest, she wouldn't put in the effort. Whereas Hecate, with her eagerness to please, her razor sharp mind and her encyclopedic knowledge of the Code, always managed to help Ada find a solution in the end. 

Not this time though. 

In the absence of any other ideas, Ada rearranged all the rotas so that Agatha and Hecate were never on duty together. She asked Agatha to cover for the sports mistress who was about to go on maternity leave, which conveniently kept her occupied during all of Hecate's free periods.

Agatha kicked back against both decisions, complaining that the new schedule would ruin her social life and saying she hadn't come here to watch a bunch of kids falling off their brooms.

"Your job is to stop them falling off," Ada snapped, and Agatha smiled lazily and told her to stop getting her knickers in a twist over nothing.

"... Is it nothing though?" she added, just as Ada reached the door. "Or is it that pretty little Potions mistress your knickers are fretting about?"

Ada froze, gripping the door handle so tightly that it hurt. Agatha knew. Damn her, she knew. She'd probably noticed the attraction before Ada herself and decided to have a little fun with it. The way she had with Mona, and Hyacinth, and Maryam. Because she never could let Ada have anything that was just for her.

All in all, it almost came as a relief, three weeks later, when Agatha's penchant for chaos and negligence of her students' safety led to three of them being injured performing unauthorised spells under her supervision. Hecate had to take one girl to hospital, throwing a look at Ada over her shoulder as she went, that said  _ Please get rid of her, _ more plainly than if she had spoken aloud.

Ada could have cried over the fact that she didn't feel safe confronting her sister these days without first cloaking herself in protective spells. Agatha was dismissive at first, and then angry when she saw Ada's determination. But no matter how Agatha's temper blazed, Ada was adamant. There was no place at the Academy for a teacher who refused to prioritise the safety of her girls. 

To Ada's eternal surprise, her mother did not say  _ I told you so. _ It was there in her face, when Ada mirrored to admit what had happened. But in the end, all she said was "You'll need to appoint a deputy."

"Hecate," Ada said, without even stopping to think.

Alma nodded. "Good."

They discussed a few practicalities relating to the transition and then, just as Ada was getting ready to say goodbye, her mother looked up again and said quietly "I am sorry it didn't work out with Agatha." 

She disconnected the call before Ada could think of anything to say in reply.

The sisters didn't see or speak to each other for some years after Agatha's dismissal. Ada settled into the familiar sense of relief punctuated with anguish that had accompanied their separations ever since they were twelve years old. She thought of Agatha often, and occasionally tried to get in touch. But Agatha was travelling the world again, and never stayed anywhere long enough to have a fixed address or mirror code. And Ada was finding that running the school with Hecate gave her almost everything she had hoped for with her sister, and a lot more she had never expected at all.

Agatha took to showing up unannounced every few months or years, expecting Ada to drop everything at once to spend time with her. Ada usually did, when she could. Because no matter how often Agatha let her down, there were still times when she didn't. Times when she felt like a real sister again, showing affection, sharing stories that weren't laced with hidden barbs, broadening Ada's horizons, making her laugh until her stomach hurt. It gave Ada something to hope for, something to hold onto. Something that meant she could never quite give up on her twin.

Ada worried at first about what effect these unexpected visits might have on her deputy.

But Hecate approaching forty was much more powerful than she had been in her twenties, and more self-possessed. The school was her queendom now, hers and Ada's. Agatha was only an uninvited visitor. On the rare occasions when their paths crossed, she greeted Agatha with a calm, icy indifference, and to Ada's intense relief, Agatha responded in kind. Not for the first time, Ada was grateful for her sister's variable attention span. Hecate had clearly been consigned to the pile of sour grapes Agatha was going to pretend she'd never wanted. 

The Academy though... That was a different matter. Agatha's eyes were still hungry as they roved over the old familiar walls and turrets, and Ada took to suggesting they spend their time together outside the castle, just in case her sister got any ideas. She never lowered her protective spells.

Ada couldn't help wondering what recent disappointment had led Agatha to decide on spending her fiftieth birthday in a restaurant with her unadventurous twin.

In spite of her determination to go her own way, Agatha always seemed to gravitate back to Ada and to Cackle's for comfort when things had gone wrong. Agatha hadn't often confided in her since their early childhood, but Ada's heart still swelled at the knowledge that even after all this time, her sister needed her. She only wished that Agatha's preferred method of seeking reassurance didn't tend to involve trying to make Ada feel bad about herself.

"So what's new in your life, sister? Anything exciting?" Agatha's face made it perfectly plain that she didn't expect Ada to have had any excitement at all since her last visit. Her eyes gleamed. "Any romance? You can't be seeing anyone right now, or you wouldn't be spending this evening with me."

Ada had tried dating other people for a while after identifying her crush on Hecate, doing her best to redirect her feelings toward a less unsettling relationship. She'd met some lovely women, and one or two had become friends. But although she'd enjoyed their company and compliments, nothing had even approached the feeling she got when Hecate gave her half a smile from the other side of her desk. So in the end she had stopped trying and drifted into staying contentedly at home on her evening off, with tea and biscuits, Hecate and the cats for company. She wasn't going to admit any of that to her sister though.

"No," she said, trying to keep her tone casual. "I don't really seem to have the time. And it's difficult to meet new people most of the year..."

Agatha looked at her as though she had grown two heads. "You're never going to get anywhere with that attitude.  _ Make _ the time. You're the Headmistress, aren't you? Delegate." Her face softened so that she looked momentarily like Ada's own reflection. "Look, why don't you come out with me sometime? I could introduce you to a few people."

_ I don't want your leftovers _ , Ada thought.  _ And they wouldn't want me either. _ Aloud, she said "I'm just not sure the dating scene is really for me any more."

Agatha gave her a long look. "You like somebody."

Ada busied herself with her food, not meeting her sister's eye.

"But if you never go anywhere…" Incredulity dawned on Agatha's face. "You can't still be hankering after that stone-cold deputy of yours?"

"I haven't the slightest idea what you mean."

"You are!" Agatha threw back her head and laughed. "Ada, that's pathetic. After all this time! I bet you've never even had the guts to try, have you?" She winked. "I could show you a trick or two that would have her in your bed in no time."

Ada opened her mouth to say that evidence suggested otherwise, but although Agatha had long since lost interest in Hecate, Ada knew she would take that as a challenge. So she pursed her lips and said "Unlike you, I'm not in the habit of propositioning my employees."

Agatha rolled her eyes. "Alright, point taken. You were always the good one."

Ada set her wine glass down with a deliberate little click. She looked her sister straight in the eye. "No, Agatha, I wasn't. You turned me into the good one. You and Mother between you. I never had any choice."

Agatha wasn't in the habit of showing surprise or uncertainty. But her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a way that suggested that, just for a moment, her world had teetered on its axis. Ada thought she saw a flicker of compassion and understanding.

Then Agatha leaned forward and grabbed her hand. "Let's go dancing."

Ada blinked. "What?"

"Come on. It's our birthday. You need taking out of yourself. A proper sisters' night out, what do you say?"

"Alright," Ada said, slightly bewildered by this turn of events but grateful for the change of subject. She'd always loved dancing, and it had been a while since she'd had the opportunity. 

Neither of them could change the past. But Agatha seemed to be offering the chance to forget all their betrayals and sacrifices, just for tonight. The chance to step out of the endlessly draining routine of running a boarding school. To stop being a pillar of the community. And Ada was bloody well going to take it.

"Right." Agatha looked her sister up and down. "First things first. You need a makeover. I'm not going to be seen with someone dressed like that."

Three hours and quite a lot of drinks later, Ada found herself in a smoky hallway being kissed by a perfectly nice witch who, under other circumstances, she might have been happy to spend a lot more time with. She was a little hazy as to how she'd ended up here. But at the first brush of lips, Ada knew she couldn't go through with it. This woman wasn't Hecate and Ada didn't want anybody else, even just for one night. It was time to finally admit to herself that what she felt for Hecate wasn't just a crush. She was in love, and that wasn't going to change.

She excused herself as tactfully as she could, apologising for having wasted the other woman's time.

Agatha had long since disappeared into a corner with a giggly redhead. Ada thought she would be forgiven for leaving without saying goodbye. She swiped a cleaning spell over her mouth to get rid of the feeling of the kiss. She'd been enjoying herself up until then, enjoying being Ada instead of Miss Cackle, floating on a sea of cocktails, losing herself in the music. The kiss had jolted her back into real life. She was tired. She felt a headache coming on. She wanted home, and she wanted Hecate.

She found Hecate still awake, as she usually was when Ada stayed out late, stalking the corridors in her long black dressing gown to make sure no harm came to the Academy while the Headmistress was away. Hecate's eyes popped slightly at the sight of her, and Ada realised she was still decked out in the little sparkly number Agatha had insisted on. Her face flooded with heat as she waved a hand to transform the outfit into her oldest nightgown, with her most comfortable cardigan over the top. 

Hecate visibly relaxed. "I thought you might be Agatha for a second."

"No," said Ada wearily, "I'm not Agatha."

This evening had made that abundantly clear. She stumbled a little in the borrowed heels she'd forgotten to take off. Hecate caught her and held her steady while she summoned her slippers.  _ Why couldn't it have been you, _ Ada thought, leaning into Hecate for just a moment longer than she needed to,  _ Why wasn't it you who pressed me up against the wall and kissed me happy birthday? _

Hecate's eyes were lingering on her lips, though, and for a moment Ada thought all her wildest dreams were about to come true. 

But once she was steady on her feet, Hecate stepped back. "I expect you're in need of hydration," she said briskly. "Would you like me to make you some tea?"

Ada closed her eyes. For an instant, she felt the tiniest flicker of regret that she'd turned down that other woman. She could have been getting up to any number of things by now. Instead, her night was going to culminate in a cup of tea. How Agatha would laugh.

But then Hecate's hand was at her elbow. "I'll transfer you to an armchair," she said, her voice soft with concern in a way that Ada couldn't help noticing never happened with anyone except her. "There's still some birthday cake left, if you're hungry."

Ada smiled. "Thank you, dear."

She knew in her heart that she would rather have a sedate cup of tea with Hecate than the wildest night imaginable with anybody else. 

~*~

Had Hecate already been in love with her then? Ada wondered what would have happened if she had confessed her feelings that night, whether the following years would have unfolded any differently. A lot of it might have been easier, if they'd belonged completely to each other and been able to say everything that was on their minds. 

It would have been easier to take care of each other, easier to unwind together. But some things would have been harder too. There would have been more potential for disaster if she and Hecate had already been a couple once Agatha started impersonating her...

As though sharing Ada's train of thought, Hecate gave a whimper and wriggled closer in her sleep. Ada kissed her temple, stroked her shoulder. They would have to have a proper talk about Agatha, sometime soon, to untangle some of the emotional knots that had formed over the decades. Not yet though. Not here. It could wait until they got home.

It was always so difficult, thinking about Agatha. Ada had never understood how it could be possible to feel such hugely conflicting emotions all towards the same person.

To Hecate, Agatha had never been anything more than a dangerous enemy. But she was Ada's mirror image, the person she could have become, the other half of her self. They had grown within the same body, slept in the same cradle, shared all their childhood joys and sorrows. Ada had loved her deeply and would never stop loving her, even after all that had happened. Hecate knew this, of course, but Ada needed her to really understand it, to feel a sense of the relationship between the sisters. And she hoped that in dissecting it with Hecate she might be able to come to a better understanding herself.

Over the past weeks Ada had made an effort to normalise mentioning Agatha, pushing herself to refer to the more harmless memories just as she always had. It usually made Hecate flinch, but Ada persisted. It was important. Agatha hadn't always been murderous. She had been so many different people over the years that it was hard to know where to start in grieving for her. Playful little girl, defiant teenager, wild young witch… Speaking her name kept all of those past Agathas alive to balance out Ada's final recollections of the bitter, ruthless woman who had been willing to kill to get the power she wanted, and ended up taking her own life instead.

A sob escaped Ada as she was transported back into that heart-stopping moment when she realised what Agatha was about to do. She would be gone forever. Not suspended this time in a magical prison, but really, truly beyond Ada's reach, beyond even the tiniest hope of reconciliation. She saw once again the deadly resolve in her sister's eyes, heard the gasps from around the room, felt the terrible pain in her chest as though a piece of her were being ripped away.

And Hecate… Hecate, thrusting aside her own feelings and telling Agatha to stop, because Ada loved Agatha, and Hecate loved Ada. The horrified silence after Agatha vanished, that had filled with the blood thundering in Ada's ears, sounding out  _ Agatha's dead, Agatha's dead, _ until Hecate took another step closer and pressed her hand against Ada's back, sending the gentlest of calming spells through her while the shocked faces of the girls blurred and reformed in front of Ada's eyes.

Lying in bed, Ada's cheeks were wet with tears again as she fought to keep her breathing steady so as not to disturb Hecate. 

Hecate stirred, her arm tightening around Ada's middle. "Ada?" she murmured, without opening her eyes. "Ada, don't cry."

Hecate was still trying to take care of her, even in her sleep. The sweetness of it sent a rush of love through Ada, washing aside the grief for now. She kissed Hecate again, then yawned, suddenly realising how late it was. Ada found her thoughts starting to slip away before she had time to really grasp them. She could feel dreams pressing against the edges of her consciousness, looking for a way through. With Hecate sleeping naked in her arms, Ada had a feeling tonight's dreams would be sweeter than they had been for a while. She closed her eyes and let them in.


	7. Chapter 7

Ada's eyes opened again much earlier than she would have liked but she found herself wide awake. They had shifted in their sleep so that Hecate was facing away from her, but Ada's arm was around her waist and Hecate, still fast asleep, was clasping Ada's hand to her chest. Like yesterday, it felt completely natural to be waking up like this so it took Ada a moment to remember that it didn't happen every day. Thankfully, unlike yesterday, she could lie there revelling in the knowledge that she was free to hold Hecate for as long as she pleased.

She would have to move soon though, she realised, becoming aware of an increasingly pressing need to use the bathroom. Ada disentangled herself from Hecate as carefully as she had the day before, although this time she let herself leave a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder. Hecate sighed, and smiled in her sleep.

Once in the bathroom, Ada was tempted by the thought of a nice hot shower. Cleansing spells were all very well, but the real thing was much more satisfying, and if Ada got her shower out of the way early that would leave the bathroom free for Hecate to use whenever she chose. And there was always the chance Hecate would be woken by the sound of the water, and might decide to come and join her… Ada unlocked the door and left it ajar, just in case.

Hecate did not materialise however. It was hardly surprising, Ada reflected, leaning forward to squint into the mirror as she ran a comb through her hair. The poor dear had missed a lot of sleep lately.

Ada wrapped one of the hotel towels around herself, and was about to turn away from her reflection when she caught sight of a bruise on her shoulder. It was the mark of Hecate's teeth. She was immediately struck with such a vivid flashback that she felt moisture between her legs and found herself brimming with anticipation for whatever might happen today. She wondered what time it was. Hopefully not an unreasonable time to wake somebody up and see whether they fancied having a little fun before breakfast...

When Ada walked back into the bedroom Hecate was gone. She peered at the empty bed, sure that her eyes must be playing tricks on her. She opened the curtains and summoned her spectacles to double check. Hecate was nowhere to be seen.There was no sign of a note on either of their pillows, nor on the desk. Ada's head swam with uncertainty and she took a seat on the desk to steady herself. There must be a simple explanation, a legitimate reason for Hecate to have disappeared with no warning. It didn't have to mean…

It was true that Hecate had had a few drinks last night but not enough that Ada had felt any doubts about her ability to consent, or the truth of her confession of feelings. It had all been real, Ada was sure of it. There was absolutely no reason to believe that Hecate had changed her mind. 

Except she wasn't there.

Ada was itching to reach out with her magic, to send a locating spell out to wherever Hecate was in the world. But she stayed her hand. Hecate was attuned enough to her magic that she would sense it at once, and Ada couldn't bear the thought of Hecate running away from her and feeling Ada reaching out in vain to bring her back. _Stop it,_ she told herself, _She loves you. Hecate loves you. She told you so. And she showed you. You felt it. She'll come back._

Ada felt tears welling in her eyes and took off her spectacles to brush them away. She wondered whether it would seem less needy to send a quick maglet message, but couldn't think how to word it.

Ada was still pondering this, wiping her steamed up spectacles on the edge of her towel, when the bedroom door opened and Hecate came in, looking very pleased with herself. She stopped short when she caught sight of Ada in her towel, turned to lock the door behind her and leaned against it to take a good long look.

"Good morning."

One glimpse of Hecate's face was enough to dissolve all the doubts that had crept in while she was gone. Her lips curved up in a slow smile. Her gaze was dark, intent, and fixed a lot further south than Ada's eyes.

With Hecate looking at her like that it was easy to slip back into the intimate familiarity of the night before. Ada kept her tone casual. "Enjoying the view?" 

Hecate blushed and looked back up. "Sorry."

Ada grinned. "I don't mind in the slightest. Where did you disappear to?"

"I know it's still early but I thought you might enjoy breakfast in bed. I went down to the kitchens to arrange it."

A wave of happiness washed through Ada. It was just like Hecate to be so thoughtful. "I think I'm going to like being with you." 

Hecate gave a huff of amusement. "You won't get breakfast in bed every day." She ducked her head before looking up with a shy smile. "I could bring you a cup of tea though, on work mornings, if you'd like."

"I would like," said Ada, captivated by this new soft Hecate who wanted to wake up with her in the mornings. "Although I'm often awake before you. Perhaps we should take it in turns."

"Perhaps."

Hecate moved forward, her gaze wandering down again. Her smile was replaced with a look of consternation as she spotted the bite mark. "I _hurt_ you!" 

"Not much," Ada reassured her, raising her hand to the mark. "I didn't mind. In fact-" She hesitated, but ploughed on anyway- "I rather liked it."

Hecate's eyes widened. "You did?"

Ada shrugged and smiled, finding it hard to meet Hecate's eye. But she made herself do it, and they gazed at each other, awakening to all sorts of new possibilities to explore together.

Hecate bit her lip. "You forgot to dry your shoulders." 

"Would you like to oblige?" Ada asked, hoping Hecate might take off the towel.

Instead, Hecate bent and touched her forefinger to Ada's wet collarbone, sending a spell flowing over her shoulders and down into the towel until she glowed all over with the warmth of it. Ada was so distracted that she dropped her spectacles on the floor. She squinted down to see where they had gone. 

Hecate crouched to retrieve them. "Allow me."

"Thank you," whispered Ada. 

Hecate sat back on her heels. "You're welcome." Her face was level with Ada's thighs and her eyes darkened again. "You look very lovely like that," she murmured, bringing her hands up to rest on Ada's bare knees. Her thumbs stroked slow looping patterns there, her gaze roaming over Ada's curves in silent appreciation.

Ada swallowed. She had often been in awe of Hecate's ability to concentrate her entire being on a spell or potion, and occasionally allowed herself to speculate on what it might feel like to be on the receiving end of such intense focus. It turned out to be thrilling and unnerving in equal measure. She had thought she'd had Hecate's full attention during the lecture, but she'd been wrong. This was different. There seemed to be nothing left in the world now except herself and Hecate and a towel that felt as though it might disintegrate at any moment under that stare.

Hecate's fingers moved further up, playing with the hem of the towel.

"Ada…"

"Yes?"

"Can I taste you?"

Ada nodded, curling her fingers around the edge of the desk and trying to steady her breathing. "Just so you know, the answer to that question is _always_ going to be yes."

Hecate raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She pressed an open mouthed kiss to the inside of Ada's thigh. "So if I were to ask in the middle of this afternoon's seminar on independent learning…?"

Ada found her body responding to that idea with unexpected enthusiasm. Hecate was still watching her closely. There was a glint of humour in her eyes but also a very real challenge. 

"I'd still say yes," Ada said defiantly.

"And if I followed through?"

Ada closed her eyes for a moment, picturing it. Of course she knew that Hecate would never do anything of the sort. But her body thought otherwise. She let out an embarrassingly needy little whine. Hecate smirked.

There was a clatter of crockery as a tray materialised on the bedside table. Two stasis spells shot across the room to keep it warm until they had attention to spare for breakfast.

Ada smiled and touched Hecate's cheek. "Great minds think alike."

Hecate turned to kiss her hand. "Are you comfortable up there?"

"Very."

"Good."

Hecate summoned a pillow from the bed and settled herself at Ada's feet. She slipped her hands under the towel and Ada shifted to let her push it up out of the way. Their eyes met. "Open your legs for me."

Ada had been about to do just that. But hearing those words in Hecate's voice sent such a thrill through her that she felt she could almost have come there and then. She stifled another little moan and Hecate smiled like a wolf.

Ada did as she was told.

~*~

Afterwards Hecate stood, wiping her mouth while Ada's arms wound tightly around her waist and Ada's head rested on her chest. Hecate kissed her forehead. "Alright?"

"Mm. You're very, _very_ good at that, you know."

"I always strive for excellence."

Ada gave a shaky laugh. "I think I need to lie down."

Hecate moved back to let her slide off the desk. Ada's legs started to give way and she clutched at Hecate's hips.

"Weak at the knees," she breathed. 

Hecate steadied her, feeling more than a little smug. She could have simply transferred her to the bed. But that seemed too impersonal after what they had just shared. She cast a quick strengthening spell on herself and swept Ada up into her arms.

Ada gasped in surprise then smiled and blushed. "That feels nice."

Hecate kissed her. "Agreed." She carried her across the room, getting distracted more than once because Ada's face was so close, and so kissable, and her body so lovely to hold. She gently deposited her on the bed and Ada rolled over to make room for her. The towel unwound itself as she did so. Hecate paused in the act of taking her boots off, mesmerised by the sight before her.

Ada tilted her head on the pillow. "Something wrong?"

Hecate shook her head. How could she even begin to explain the effect Ada's body was having on her? It felt so completely right to be seeing Ada like this, still flushed from Hecate's ministrations, reclining on their shared bed unashamedly unclothed, with the taste of her still in Hecate's mouth. She couldn't find the words so she shook her head again and smiled, trying to pour what she felt out through her eyes instead. Ada smiled back, puzzled but pleased. Hecate kicked off her boots and lay fully dressed on her back, wrapping her arms around Ada when she cuddled close.

"I didn't get to see you naked last night." 

"Oh! No, I suppose you didn't." Ada looked a little embarrassed. "I'm afraid I was in a bit of a hurry."

"You were. But after all you had waited-" Hecate hesitated. She was still quite certain after last night that Ada had wanted her for some time, but she didn't want to sound arrogant.

"Years," supplied Ada helpfully.

Hecate nodded. "Me too."

Ada blew out a long breath. "Oh Hecate. We've wasted an awful lot of time."

"Perhaps I wasn't ready until now. With… with everything surrounding Indigo I mean. Maybe it would never have worked out before."

"But you think it'll work now?

"I do."

"Aren't you scared?"

"No," said Hecate, surprising herself as well as Ada. "I thought I would be, but I'm not. I was scared _before_. All the time. I was scared I'd do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, and you'd find out how I felt. And that seemed like the worst thing that could possibly happen. But then you did find out and…" She glanced down at Ada's naked body draped over hers. "I'd say you took it rather well." 

Ada laughed. "I'm glad I've managed to get my feelings across."

Hecate ran her fingers through Ada's hair, absently smoothing it into shape. "I thought I'd lose you if I ever told you. But I found you instead." 

She wasn't sure where all these words were coming from. Talking about emotions had never been her particular strength. But it seemed so important that Ada should understand exactly how she felt. She stopped talking then, because Ada's eyes had filled with tears that she wanted to kiss away.

"That was beautiful," Ada sniffed. She gave Hecate a watery smile. "Thank you. I know it can't have been easy for you to say all that."

Hecate shrugged. "It was easier than you might think. Everything seems easier, since last night."

Ada nestled closer and kissed her neck. She was silent for a while, stroking her thumb over Hecate's belt. Then she spoke again. "How are you so sure, Hecate? How are you so certain we can do this?"

"Aren't you?" asked Hecate, surprised again.

Ada sighed and her breath warmed Hecate's skin. "I'm sure that I love you. I'm sure that I'm happy. I'm sure that I want this to work more than I've ever wanted anything else. But it's a big change, love. There are a lot of factors involved. It's going to take some working through."

As always when Ada's confidence faltered, Hecate found herself filled with an overwhelming desire to comfort and protect her, to reassure her that in Hecate's eyes there was nothing Ada couldn't do if she set her mind to it.

"Then we'll work through it," she said simply. "The same way we've always worked through everything else. Just like you showed me. We've been through so much together, Ada. The only difference is that now we get to tell each other the truth, all the time."

She didn't know what else to say, how else to communicate the shining certainty that had taken root in her soul when Ada had seen her truth and reached out to embrace it. Ada's first kiss had cut through everything Hecate thought she knew, sending her cartwheeling up out of her old life until she landed firmly in this strange new world where Ada loved her, and found herself so at home there that she knew there would never be any going back.

She was beginning to realise just how much of herself she had poured into being careful when she was alone with Ada, doing her best to regulate where she looked, how she moved, the things she said and the many, many things she didn't say. An unaccustomed bubble of excitement rose inside her at the thought of redirecting all that energy somewhere more rewarding from now on.

Ada seemed satisfied for the moment. She gave a contented sigh and arched her back under Hecate's hands. Hecate realised her fingers had come out to play without her even noticing, tracing idly over every bit of Ada they could reach.

"I can't stop touching you," she murmured, half apologetic.

"Then don't." Ada stretched again, her whole body straightening out and then curling back around Hecate tighter than before. 

Something in her movement caught Hecate's eye, and she craned her head up to get a better look. 

"You have a tattoo?"

Inked into Ada's hip was an elegant stylised sun, looking for all the world as though she had been born with it.

"What?" said Ada, her attention caught up in Hecate's wandering fingers. "Oh. Yes. I had it done for my eighteenth birthday. It's been so long I often forget it's there. Do you like it?"

Hecate's fingers moved to circle it. "I do." It seemed so quintessentially Ada that now she had seen it, Hecate felt she ought somehow to have known it was there all along. She thought of all the times they had walked together arm-in-arm, the way Ada's hip had sometimes bumped against hers and Hecate's skin had burned as though she were naked in the sun. She imagined Ada's life-giving warmth and light spreading out from the little design and smiled as an idea occurred to her. "I like it very much. ...Would you mind if I tried something?"

"Not at all."

Hecate sent her magic singing into the tip of her index finger making it pulse with light. She pressed it into the centre of the sun and pulled away, leaving Ada's tattoo glowing gold. 

Ada's face lit up. "I _love_ that! It's so pretty."

"What does it feel like?"

"Warm. It tingles a bit. It's nice."

"Good," said Hecate, the idea already evolving. She gently slipped out of Ada's embrace and propped herself up on one elbow beside her, her eyes on the broken circle her teeth had made on Ada's shoulder last night. "... Are you sure you don't want me to heal this?"

"I'm sure." Ada gave a self-conscious smile. "I liked seeing it this morning. I like the thought of going about my day and knowing it was there."

Ashamed as Hecate had been to see it earlier, she couldn't deny the thrill that had run through her at the same time. She felt it again now at the thought of Ada demurely dressed and engaging in polite conversation with their colleagues, all the while carrying this secret evidence of their passion. She traced her finger over the bruises, not erasing but highlighting, burnishing them with gold. When she had finished, her hand didn't want to stop moving. She drew widening concentric circles around the marks, and then sparkling golden tendrils looping and spiralling their way down across Ada's chest. Ada sighed with delight, and shifted to allow access to more of her skin. Hecate became quite absorbed in her task, sitting up and using both hands to paint loops and whirls up and down Ada's arms. The patterns became smaller and more intricate when she moved to Ada's breasts, because she was enjoying the way Ada's breath had become unsteady as her fingers caressed the soft skin, and she wanted to touch as much of it as possible. Delicately, reverently, she circled Ada's nipples with gold. She couldn't resist bending to take one in her mouth for a moment, feeling her own spell tingling on her lips and tongue.

 _"Hecate,"_ Ada breathed.

Hecate swirled her tongue over the nipple before she released it and glanced up. "Yes?" 

Ada didn't answer, only whimpered at the loss of her touch. Hecate smiled and began to decorate Ada's stomach with flowers. The lower she moved, the more restless Ada became. Hecate bent again to kiss the glowing sun on her hip. Ada's fingers curled tightly around her wrist.

Hecate met her eyes again. "Was there something you wanted, Headmistress?" She hadn't meant to say that last word aloud, but it had slipped out before she'd had time to wonder whether Ada would like it. She worried she might have broken the mood, but Ada's eyes flashed in a way that showed she liked it very much. Hecate took a moment to just look at her, plump and beautiful, painted all over with Hecate's devotion. _Goddess,_ she thought. _You are a goddess._

"I want you," Ada said. 

Hecate ignored the skittering of her heart and let her flower design spill down Ada's left thigh. She raised her eyebrows. "To do what, precisely?" She wanted to make Ada say it, wanted to be able to own the memory of Ada's mouth shaping the words so she could take it out and look at it whenever she liked. Hecate knew she was being a hypocrite, knew that if their positions were reversed, she herself would have been incapable of asking. Looking into her eyes, she could see that Ada knew it too, and didn't mind.

"Hecate, I would like you to fuck me," Ada said in her best headmistress voice, the one she used when she was chairing a meeting. Hecate could see the effort it was costing her to sound this calm. She took a moment to savour the delicious feeling of Ada's command hanging in the air between them, and all the ways her own body was responding. She slowly drew a spiral at the very top of Ada's thigh and then, fingers still sparkling with magic, she slid her hand between Ada's legs.

"Whatever you say, Miss Cackle." Ada gasped at the new sensation and tensed a little. Hecate stilled. "Is this alright? Not too intense?"

"Mmm. Don't stop. It was just a bit… surprising, at first." 

"You're sure?" pressed Hecate.

"Sure." Ada opened her legs wider, closing her eyes and relaxing into Hecate's touch.

Hecate kept her fingers gentle, not wanting to overstimulate her. After a while she dipped them just inside Ada's entrance, pausing to see how she reacted.

"You want me to take the spell off before I…?"

"No," Ada murmured. "I want to see what- oh! That's good…"

"Like this?" asked Hecate, delving further.

 _"Yes."_ Ada pushed up against her.

Hecate let the magic flow through her whole hand, making Ada moan and writhe beneath her. She lowered herself to the bed and brought her mouth back to Ada's breasts, losing herself in a haze of pleasure. Part of her mind found space to marvel that some of this had already become familiar; the scent of Ada's skin, the roll of her hips, the way she held her breath just before she came. Hecate was able to tell, this time, when Ada was getting close. She thought about pulling back, slowing down so she could let herself enjoy building it back up all over again. But time was getting on, and Ada was so enchanting like this that Hecate didn't have the heart to deny her even for a second. She kept up her pace as Ada pulsed around her fingers, making soft, blissful sounds of appreciation. 

When Ada was still, Hecate pulled her hand away and sent a cleaning spell over her fingers before calling her magic back deep inside her. Her fingers felt odd and slightly fizzy without the spell humming through them.

"Come up here," said Ada hazily from the pillow. "I want to hold you."

Hecate did as she was asked. "I'm right here."

Ada closed her eyes and sighed, settling back against the pillows and letting her head drop onto Hecate's shoulder. She yawned.

Hecate kissed her forehead. "Don't fall asleep." She wanted to add "love", but couldn't quite bring herself to use such a momentous word so casually just yet. It was one thing confessing her love to Ada in a moment of emotional upheaval, but quite another to start throwing terms of endearment around like confetti.

"Oh, sorry." Ada rubbed her eyes and sat up a little. "Selfish of me." She began to stroke Hecate's thigh through her dress. "Would you like me to…?"

"That's not what I meant," Hecate said, although she didn't really want Ada to stop what she was doing. "We should eat our breakfast."

Ada's hand kept moving. "There's probably still time-" She was interrupted by a rumble from her stomach.

"Breakfast," said Hecate firmly, her own stomach growling at the memory of the pastries she had ordered.

Ada pouted a little, but removed her hand. "I didn't even get to undress you."

Hecate held her gaze for a moment. "You'll have to owe me."

Ada's eyes widened and she swallowed before biting her lip and nodding. She was smiling as she turned away to pour the tea.

Seeing herself having this kind of effect on Ada felt like a drug that Hecate could never have enough of. She realised she had already started assembling a mental checklist labelled _Things Ada likes,_ and another headed _Things we could try?_ Hecate always enjoyed making lists and neatly ticking things off, but she had a feeling that these might prove considerably more fulfilling than usual.

"You know," said Ada some time later, vanishing a few stray crumbs from her chest and admiring the lingering effects of Hecate's spell, "For someone who refused to let me hire another art teacher, you really have quite the talent for design. This is beautiful."

" _You're_ beautiful," said Hecate seriously. "I only added some highlights. ...And as I said before, if you can find an art teacher who is guaranteed not to start destroying the school, I might be willing to reconsider."

"I know," said Ada, frowning slightly, "But it can be so hard to tell these days…"

"We can start by double checking everybody's references," said Hecate pointedly, softening the words with a kiss to Ada's knuckles. "And now that we have a list of Agatha's old coven members we won't be hiring any more of them in future."

"True." Ada looked as though she might be about to say something else but the bedside clock chimed and she glanced at it. "Breakfast will be over," she said instead. "We ought to be making ourselves a bit more presentable."

Hecate ran a finger over the glowing sun on Ada's hip. "I don't think I've ever seen you look more presentable."

Ada giggled. "The Board of Educators might not agree." She swung her legs off the bed and started rummaging around for something to wear, humming under her breath.

Hecate lingered a moment to watch, offering to do up the buttons on Ada's sleeveless dress for her, looking forward to being allowed to undo them again later.

She moved towards the bathroom to repair her makeup. 

"Wait," called Ada, shrugging into her cardigan. "Come back here before you do your lipstick. I want to kiss you good morning."

Hecate stopped in her tracks. "Ada, we've-"

"You kissed me," Ada said. "In all sorts of places, and very nice it was too. But I haven't had the chance to kiss you back today. I want to do it now, before we go downstairs. ...If you have no objection that is," she added.

Hecate closed the distance between them. "No objection whatsoever."

It was the first time they had kissed standing up, she realised, as her neck protested the unfamiliar angle. Hecate shifted a little, and Ada stood up on her tiptoes, hooking her fingers under Hecate's belt to pull their bodies together. Her lips were warm, her tongue gently insistent, and Hecate found herself floating away on the kiss. She was just beginning to wonder whether they could make time, after all, for a little more indulgence, when they were interrupted by the rattle of the bat flap as Darcy flitted in from his night's hunting. They broke apart, and Ada chuckled at the disappointment on Hecate's face.

"Come on," she said. "Duty calls. My mouth will still be here this evening."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lovely thosetigerseyes has drawn a gorgeous illustration for this chapter, so head over to her Tumblr if you want to see Ada in her towel:
> 
> https://thosetigerseyes.tumblr.com/post/630973705740320768/a-piece-done-for-monitorofnothing-for-her
> 
> If you want to see Ada without her towel, someone's going to have to get drawing ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly fluff. Because let's be real, they deserve it, and so do we.

The bell in the clock tower struck one. Hecate was the first person out of their seat. She and Ada had been attending separate sessions all morning and silly though it was, Hecate had missed her terribly. It didn't help that Gloria Stormforth had been sitting three seats away, repeatedly trying to catch her eye. Miss Stormforth mirrored her movement, trying to push past the wizards between them. Hecate deliberately turned her back before transferring to the doorway of the building where Ada's seminar had been held. She knew she wouldn't be able to avoid Miss Stormforth indefinitely, but she was hoping that if the time came for a confrontation she would have Ada by her side for moral support. 

Fending off unwanted attention was never easy and Miss Stormforth's possessiveness had felt so like Agatha's at a time when that was particularly hard to bear. Hecate couldn't believe she had managed to sit through an entire evening with the woman. She craned over the heads of the departing teachers, in search of bright blue eyes and a welcoming smile. 

"Looking for me?" Ada had materialised behind her, flushed and a little breathless in the heat. She had some sort of basket under her arm.

"You look hot," said Hecate, concerned, and then reddened as she realised how that had sounded.

Ada dimpled at her. "Why, thank you." She glanced around to make sure they were not being overheard, lowered her voice and continued "It  _ is _ warm. But I didn't want to take off my cardigan in case… well I wasn't sure how long your spell would last. I can't really feel it working now but I didn't want to have to answer any awkward questions." She patted the basket. "Anyway, since you brought me breakfast, I thought it was only fair for me to provide a picnic lunch. The kitchen staff said everybody would be eating outside today and I thought it might be nice if we wandered off to have lunch by ourselves."

"It would," Hecate agreed, although eating out of doors had never been her favourite activity. They began to walk towards the wilder part of the grounds. "Did you have anywhere particular in mind?"

"Here," Ada said a few minutes later, pointing to a sunny little hollow, shielded from view on three sides by wild rose bushes. "This is perfect."

Hecate peered doubtfully at the ground. "Ada, it's covered in ants."

"It is?" Ada took off her spectacles and polished them with the edge of her skirt, giving Hecate a very enjoyable glimpse of bare thigh. 

"Oh yes. Well, never mind." She waved a hand and the ants scurried away in all directions. "Insect repellent charm. I'm sure they won't mind going about their business elsewhere for a while so we can eat in peace." Ada carefully waited until the last ant was safely out of the way and then spread a blue patterned blanket on the ground. "Make yourself comfortable, dear."

Hecate wasn't sure she would ever find sitting on the ground exactly comfortable, but she did her best, casting a charm over her skirt to give the fabric a bit more stretch. Ada unpacked salad and sandwiches from the basket, humming happily under her breath again, and then pulled off her cardigan. Her skin was still faintly shimmering with gold, and she turned her arms this way and that, admiring the effect.

"Good thing you didn't take it off earlier," Hecate observed. "That might have raised a few eyebrows." She leaned over to drop a kiss on Ada's glittering shoulder.

Ada had provided a sizeable feast, but to Hecate's surprise it didn't take them long to finish it all. Fresh air and happiness seemed to have done wonders for her appetite. She waved a hand to remove her boots and stretched her legs out in front of her.

"No stockings!" Ada commented. "Goodness, Miss Hardbroom, you  _ are _ letting your standards slip today."

"Too warm," murmured Hecate, lying back and closing her eyes. She smiled, luxuriating in both the sun and the wonderful sense of freedom brought on by this new understanding with Ada. If they'd had this picnic yesterday, she would have been on edge all the way through, scrupulously mindful of every movement of her body in relation to Ada's. Now one of her hands was lying carelessly right next to Ada's leg, and it had barely even registered. Ada picked it up and kissed it absently. "How's your ankle?" she enquired. 

"Fine now. I expect it will ache next time it rains, but it feels good in the sun. I'd almost forgotten about it."

"Me too," said Ada, looking guilty. "I should have asked before now. I've just been a bit distracted by all the rest of you." Her gaze wandered back to Hecate's feet. "Do you not paint your toenails?

"Black toenails suggest some sort of medical emergency."

"There are other colours in the world, you know."

Hecate shrugged. "Nobody ever sees my feet."

"I could paint them for you?" Ada suggested. Hecate was about to say she didn't see the point, but Ada's face was alight with enthusiasm and she didn't have the heart to say no. Besides, she had more than left her mark on Ada today. It was only fair to let her return the favour in some way.

Ada snapped her fingers and half a dozen little bottles appeared at the edge of the blanket.

Hecate sat up to get a better look. She raised her eyebrows. "They're all pink."

" _ Different _ pinks," Ada protested. "And this one's really more of a purple."

Hecate flicked a finger and two of the bottles disappeared. "No glitter." Her hand hovered over the remaining options for a moment before selecting one that exactly matched the colour of Ada's dress. "This one."

Ada glanced down at her dress and smiled. "Good choice."

She knelt to pull Hecate's foot into her lap. It was the one that had been injured and for a moment Hecate was transported back two days, sitting just like this at the centre of the storm, with her ankle in agony and Ada's eyes full of anxiety. Now all was warmth and softness, making the other day seem like a half forgotten bad dream. Ada's eyes were bright, as blue as the sky behind her, and her perfume mixed with the scent of the wild roses. Her fingers were gentle, finding time to stroke Hecate's feet as she painted. Hecate was quite disappointed when she finished the last toe and sent the bottle back into vanishment, until Ada came to lie down beside her and they both watched Hecate's shiny pink toenails drying in the sun.

Hecate reached out to pull Ada into an embrace, caught herself just in time and dropped her hand back by her side. Ada had been happy to cuddle last night and again this morning, but Hecate wasn't sure what the rules were outside the bedroom and she didn't want to come across as clingy.

Ada raised her head. "Hecate, you are allowed to touch me when we're not... I mean it doesn't always have to be sexual. If you want a hug, all you have to do is reach out."

Hecate swallowed. While she had found herself more at home during intimacy with Ada than she had imagined, talking about it outside the moment was a very different matter and she found herself wanting to squirm with discomfort. Her earlier confidence in being able to navigate new relationship issues wobbled a little. "But you might not always want…" She trailed off, frustrated, and started picking the seeds off a grass stem while she tried to find the words for what she wanted to say.

"Take your time," Ada said quietly.

Hecate threw her a small, grateful smile. Ada's patience was always so reassuring. "I wanted you for so long, Ada," she said at last. "All that time longing to be close to you… Now that I know how you feel I can't help it. I just want to touch you all the time. But I know- that is, I've been told it's annoying."

"Well, unlike whoever told you that," said Ada, her voice indicating that if she ever found out who it was she would give them a piece of her mind, "I happen to be very fond of cuddling."

"Really?"

"As long as we're alone, you're probably safe to assume I want to be touching you too."

Hecate's brow wrinkled with worry. "Probably?" She didn't want to get this wrong.

Ada's eyes softened. "Ask if you're not sure, love. You don't have to keep trying to guess."

"So…" Hecate pulled Ada into her arms. "...This is alright?"

"This is  _ wonderful," _ Ada corrected, wriggling closer. She settled her head more comfortably on Hecate's chest and let out a long breath. "Hecate dear, would it be terribly rude of me to take a nap? Sunshine always makes me so sleepy."

Hecate kissed the top of her head. "Not at all. I kept you up late last night. You sleep. I'll wake you when it's time to go."

~*~

Ada was glad Hecate had taken notes all the way through the independent learning seminar, partly because she was still a little sleepy and partly because she had found herself so consumed by the memory of Hecate's earlier teasing suggestions that she had been quite unable to concentrate.  _ What if I were to ask in the middle of the seminar _ , Hecate's voice had whispered slyly in her mind, .. _.What if I followed through? _ There had been a moment where she caught Hecate's eye and knew she was remembering too. They had both gone pink and dropped their gazes, Hecate's hand brushing Ada's leg for the briefest of moments under the table, leaving her breathless.

Now the seminar was over and they were following everyone strolling leisurely down the lawn towards a trestle table laden with treats for afternoon tea.

Ada gave a cry of delight when she spotted a platter piled high with doughnuts. "My favourites!" 

Hecate gave a huff of amusement. "You say that whichever cakes they put out."

"Well, they're all so tasty," said Ada, unabashed. "I never understand how I'm supposed to pick only one favourite when I love so many things."

Hecate said nothing but her eyes were very soft. She had looked at Ada so many times like that over the years and with the benefit of hindsight, Ada found herself wondering how she had ever misinterpreted it as a mere expression of friendship. This must be what Rosemary Amethyst had seen all along.

Ada took a plate and loaded it with two doughnuts.

"I'm still quite full from lunch,"said Hecate.

"They were actually both for me." Ada winked. "But let's take another one, in case you change your mind." She noticed Hecate fidgeting. "Do you want to get out of this crowd?"

"Would that be alright? I need a break from people." She paused. "If that's…?"

"You know that's always alright."

Ada took her arm and waved the plate of doughnuts towards a wooded path at the edge of the lawns. "Shall we? It looks a lot quieter over there." A thought struck her. "Unless you need a break from me as well?" She didn't feel like spending a single second apart at the moment, but after years of gently insisting that it was alright for Hecate to express her needs, Ada was damn well going to give her whatever she asked for.

Hecate shook her head, surprised. "You're not  _ people _ . You're Ada."

Ada squeezed her arm, too overcome with emotion to say anything. 

"Hecate!" came a voice from behind them. Hecate groaned. Gloria Stormforth strode into view. "Hecate, let's go and-"

"No thank you," said Hecate and Ada both together.

"I'm afraid Hecate is very busy today," Ada stated. "She doesn't have time for gadding around."

Gloria rolled her eyes. "You can't dictate every minute of her time. Hecate, you don't have to listen to her. You're allowed to have some fun."

Hecate drew her arm more tightly through Ada's. "I'm perfectly capable of deciding who to listen to for myself, thank you. ... And who to have fun with," she added, making Ada choke back a giggle. 

Gloria gazed at them through narrowed eyes for a moment before shrugging, shaking her head and strutting back into the crowd.

"Well done, dear," murmured Ada as they resumed their walk. "If I'd known she was that easy to get rid of, I might have tried a bit harder last night."

"We might not have got together, if you had," Hecate pointed out.

"You're probably right… Funny how things turn out."

They turned a corner into a little clearing where a wide ornate swing seat hung invitingly from the bough of a beech tree. Ada's face lit up. "Oh how lovely! Let's sit down here to eat."

"Ada, I haven't been on a swing in thirty years."

"Come on." Ada pulled Hecate towards it. She winked again. "Let's live dangerously."

Hecate sniffed. "We run a magical academy. We live dangerously every day." But she let Ada make herself comfortable on the swing, and after a moment's hesitation settled herself gingerly beside her while the plate hovered in front of them.

The doughnuts were as good as they looked, and in no time at all, Ada was swallowing her last mouthful and licking her fingers clean. She looked up to see Hecate watching her with fond amusement, the third doughnut still untouched in front of her.

"Are you going to eat yours?"

"I was waiting to see whether you wanted it."

Ada smiled. "I appreciate it. But I think three might be a little excessive." She chuckled, struck by a sudden memory.

"Agatha and I always used to do the doughnut challenge when we were little."

Hecate's mouth tightened at the mention of Agatha and the fingers of her casting hand flexed involuntarily, but she only raised an eyebrow and asked "What challenge?" 

"You just have to get through the whole doughnut without licking your lips." 

"That hardly sounds challenging."

"It's harder than you might think," Ada said mildly. "I always used to lose."

"I'm sure it simply requires a modicum of patience and self-control."

"Go on then," said Ada. She pushed the plate towards Hecate. "I dare you. Show me how it's done."

Hecate picked up the doughnut between thumb and forefinger, giving it a measuring glance before taking a dainty bite. At once her lips were dusted with sugar and she narrowed her eyes as she fought the instinct to lick them. She took another bite, larger this time, her lips sparkling all over.

"How's it going? asked Ada, enjoying herself immensely.

Hecate gave her a look. "Fine," she said, curling her free hand around the chain of the swing. She kept going until the doughnut was gone, then without breaking eye contact she deliberately licked the sugar off her finger and thumb without her tongue touching her lips at all. She tilted her head, eyes full of triumph.

Ada laughed. "Alright, you win. You're the queen of self-control and I'm very impressed. Now lick that sugar off your lips, I'm finding it very distracting."

Hecate's eyes flashed. She glanced around to check that they were still alone and then met Ada's gaze again. "You do it."

Ada felt as though all her bones had melted. "What?" she squeaked. Hecate said nothing, just sat there looking at her with a smug little smile on her face.

Ada shifted on the seat until she felt Hecate's hip press against hers. She raised a hand and ran her thumb over Hecate's cheek before leaning in and touching her tongue to her lips. She tasted sweetness and heard Hecate make a tiny sound that suggested she might not be quite as self-possessed as she was pretending. She smiled and returned to her task, sugar crystals melting on her tongue as she made sure she had found every last one.

When she went to move away, Hecate moaned again, bringing a hand to the back of Ada's head to hold her in place while she kissed her. Once she seemed sure that Ada wasn't going anywhere, Hecate wound an arm around her waist and pushed down with her boot. The swing moved up and back. Ada's feet were swept off the floor. She wobbled for a moment, clutching at the chain with one hand and Hecate with the other to find her balance.

"Alright?" asked Hecate between kisses.

"Yes."

"Still wish you were taller?"

Ada let herself lean into the feeling of being suspended in mid-air, entirely at Hecate's mercy. "...No," she murmured against Hecate's lips. "I don't think I do." She felt Hecate smile, and gave her another light kiss. "And this is giving me some interesting ideas for our flight home."

Hecate pulled back a little and raised her eyebrows. "You think it might not be such a bad thing if my broom weren't repaired on time?"

"Well," Ada began.

A twig snapped nearby and they turned to see the astonished figure of Miss Amethyst, a large blob of jam falling unheeded from the half eaten doughnut in her hand. She stared at them sitting together on the swing, faces inches apart, very obviously in the middle of some sort of intimate moment. Then, doughnut still trailing jam, she turned and scurried away back down the path.

"Oh dear," said Ada, trying not to giggle as the retreating shawls billowed out of sight. "Poor Rosemary. I suppose we'd better go and talk to her."

Hecate grimaced. "Must we?"

"It probably doesn't need both of us." Ada gave her one last kiss. "I'll go. You save me a seat in the lecture hall."

"Alright," sighed Hecate. "Go on then, if you must."

"Er, Hecate?"

"Yes?"

Ada glanced at her dangling toes. "I need you to let me down."

Hecate smirked, and stole another kiss before doing as she was asked.

~*~

Hecate's maglet had chimed at the end of the lecture, with a message announcing that Pippa Pentangle would be arriving at the Pendragon in time for dinner. Ada and Hecate were waiting for her outside the main door, eyes turned towards the top of the steep twisting steps winding up from the gates.

"A shame she's had to miss most of the conference," said Ada. "The announcements were sent out quite late so I suppose she couldn't help it clashing with her first year orientation days. Were you planning to go to her Modern Chanting lecture in the morning?"

Hecate nodded. "I ought to support Pippa. Although I highly doubt I'll be able to summon up any enthusiasm for her subject."

Ada patted her arm. "I'll come with you. I'm good at enthusiasm."

"You certainly are," murmured Hecate, eyes crinkling at the corners.

"... Don't tell Gwen though," Ada added. "We may not work together any more but I'd still never hear the last of it. But I'm hoping Miss Pentangle might show us how to update the Chanting curriculum without having girls fainting all over the place."

Hecate flipped open her timepiece and frowned. "She's late."

Ada was just opening her mouth to reply when they heard Pippa's familiar voice raised in greeting, not from further down the hill but somewhere above them. Stragglers on their way into dinner were whispering and pointing at the sky. Ada looked up to see Pippa soaring overhead, enthroned on a stately magic carpet. She made a circuit of the rooftops before bringing the carpet to a graceful landing and hopping nimbly off. Pippa snapped her fingers and the carpet disappeared inside with her luggage.

"Well met," said Ada politely. 

Hecate frowned. "Is that the hotel's magic carpet?"

Pippa gave them both a brilliant smile. "Yes. It's a little slow but it's not bad." She registered Hecate's disapproving look. "You  _ know _ I get transfer sick. And you could hardly expect me to walk up that steep hill in these shoes."

"Not to mention that a magic carpet makes a much more dramatic entrance," said Hecate, voicing Ada's thoughts so exactly that she almost laughed out loud.

Pippa did laugh. "I have to uphold my image, Hecate. People have expectations."

Hecate rolled her eyes and shook her head, an exasperated smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Pippa smiled back, unashamed. "What's the conference been like?" She turned to Ada. "How did your speech go?"

"I think fairly well, overall," Ada answered.

"It was  _ excellent _ ," said Hecate proudly. 

Ada smiled and blushed. "I wouldn't say that. But I think we might have changed a few minds."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there," Pippa said. "But perhaps we could have a chat later about how to open up Pentangle's to more students from non-magical families over the next few years? After all, Cackle's can't accommodate everyone, unless you're planning to start letting boys in too."

"We are not," stated Hecate, curling her lip in disdain.

Pippa grinned. "No, I didn't think you would. But someone ought to give those poor non magical boys a chance. Now, what else have I missed? You'll have to catch me up on all the gossip!" 

"I have some gossip for you," announced Hecate unexpectedly. They both turned to stare at her. It was a well-known fact that Hecate deeply disapproved of gossip. "Ada and I are… in a relationship." She reached out and took Ada's hand in both of her own, blushing scarlet as though she herself had also been taken aback by the sudden announcement. Ada bit her tongue. She wasn't feeling entirely comfortable with this revelation.

Pippa's expression did not change. "...And?" she said finally, when Hecate didn't say anything else.

"What do you mean, and?" asked Hecate, drawing herself up with indignation. "Is that not sufficiently scandalous to fulfill your gossip requirements?"

Pippa gave her a fond smile. "It's hardly news, Hiccup."

"But we- You can't have-" Hecate spluttered.

Ada squeezed her hand. "What do you mean?" she asked Pippa. 

Pippa shrugged "I've always known. Ever since we got back in touch. It was obvious. The way Hecate talks about you, the way you look at each other, the way you stand together...  _ everything _ . To be honest, I assumed you were probably married." She looked from one to the other. "...What's the joke?" she asked as first Ada and then even Hecate began to shake with laughter.

~*~

After dinner and a drink in the bar, Ada and Hecate left Pippa to her admirers and retired to their room. Ada sat on the bed and kicked off her shoes, a little harder than she had meant to. One of them flew across the room and hit the wall.

"Ada, is everything alright? You've been a bit quiet this evening."

"You told her!" Ada burst out. She'd been doing her best to rationalise this in her head all evening, but every time she thought she had squashed it down, the discomfort bubbled up all over again, spoiling her appetite and making her lose the thread of every conversation.

Hecate blinked. "What?"

"You told Pippa about us."

"Oh." Hecate's face creased with anxiety. "Wasn't that… I thought that was what people did. Tell their friends about new relationships?"

"Not without discussing it first," said Ada, doing her best to keep the irritation out of her voice, but not quite succeeding. She sighed and rubbed her temples, then patted the bed beside her to invite Hecate to sit. 

Hecate sank down, eyes wary, fingers twisting together in agitation.

Ada sighed again, and tried to smile. "I'm just not sure I was really ready to tell anyone we are in a relationship yet. And if I were, Pippa Pentangle wouldn't exactly have been my first choice."

"But she wasn't the first," said Hecate blankly. "You already told Miss Amethyst."

"Hecate, she saw us kissing! After what we've put the poor woman through this week, the least I could do was give her an explanation. But this is a lot to get used to, for me anyway. Could we maybe give it a bit more time before we start telling anybody else?"

Hecate was quiet for a while, staring out of the window. Then she met Ada's eyes again and said "I have a lot to learn."

"I'm sure I do too," Ada said honestly.

Hecate's eyes widened. "You? But you're always so..."

"Single?" finished Ada. "What with running the school and spending so many years lusting after my dearest friend, it's really quite a long time since I've been in a serious relationship. It's going to take some getting used to."

"Oh," said Hecate. "Yes I suppose…" Then, as if she couldn't help herself,  _ "Lusting?" _

Ada cleared her throat. "...Perhaps pining would have been a more appropriate word. Although," she added, an unwilling smile spreading over her face, "If the lust escaped your notice today, I clearly haven't been trying hard enough."

Hecate's echoing smile was tentative. "I'm sorry, Ada. I'm happy, and I wanted to tell somebody. But I do see I shouldn't have done it without asking."

Ada took a deep breath. "It's alright, love. But we're going to have to think about when and how we tell people, and whether we want our colleagues to know anything yet. Or the girls."

"I wonder how many of them think we are already married."

"Good point. That does seem to be a recurring theme." Ada giggled, remembering Pippa's puzzlement.

Hecate took her hand and kissed each knuckle before turning it over to press her lips to Ada's palm. "...Maybe we should be."

Ada's jaw dropped."Hecate! You- you're not asking me…?"

Hecate raised her eyebrows. "Not after less than twenty four hours, no. But-" she took a deep breath- "Do you think you might like me to, one day?"

Ada had a vision of Hecate kneeling before her as she had earlier, with the same burning intensity in her eyes, asking not just to taste but to have and to hold, for all the years to come.  _ Till death do us part, _ she thought, and shivered at the memory of how it so nearly had, only a few weeks ago. She found she couldn't speak. She swallowed, and nodded. Hecate gave her a soft smile. "Well then, maybe I will. One day." She lifted Ada's hand to her lips again. 

Ada's stomach fluttered. Really, the way her body responded to Hecate's touch was ridiculous. She cleared her throat, trying to regain some semblance of control over the situation. "Maybe I'll ask you."

The corner of Hecate's mouth twitched upwards. "That would save me a lot of trouble."

It would happen, Ada knew. Not now, not yet. But not too far away either. Because they had waited so long already and they knew what it was like to almost lose each other. One way or another there would be a proposal, an engagement, a wedding. And then there would be a marriage, which on the surface wouldn't look so very different from the way things had always been. But under the surface, under the old comfortable familiarity of their habits and routines, there would be a bubbling spring of adventure and new discoveries, and a future that neither of them had ever dared to think could be theirs.

They were still holding hands, and Ada rested her head on Hecate's shoulder with a happy sigh. They didn't speak as they watched the sun setting over the gardens, Ada perfectly still, Hecate's fingers gently running over hers.

The silence was broken by Darcy waking up, flying once around the room to stretch his wings and then going out through the bat flap with a squeak and a rattle that took Ada's mind back to their interrupted kiss that morning. She smiled, remembering how reluctant Hecate had been to let her go. She lifted her head and got to her feet, placing a hand on Hecate's shoulder to keep her from rising as well. Hecate's eyes widened enquiringly.

Ada smiled, sliding down again onto Hecate's lap and taking the top button of her blouse between finger and thumb.

"I seem to remember owing you some sort of favour..."

Hecate had vanished all their clothes before she even finished her sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read this far. I hope you feel this is a fitting ending, and that it made up for all the angst I put them (and you) through in the first half of the story.
> 
> Thanks again to Cass for tidying up my writing, giving me beautiful feedback and a gentle nudge when I wandered off course. And thanks to thosetigerseyes for her delightful depiction of Ada in a towel.


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